Skopje, 8 August 2022 (MIA) - There is no need for the health authorities to introduce new restrictions against the new coronavirus given the current epidemiological situation. The mandate in place for masks to be worn in hospitals, pharmacies, public transportation and nursing homes is sufficient for the time being, said doctor Aleksandar Petlichkovski, head of the Commission for Infectious Diseases. "Restrictions should be reintroduced when it will be absolutely necessary," he told Kanal 5 Monday adding that nearly 170 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized. "However, because the virus can prove to give us surprises always mutating, we will seriously reconsider raising the issue in the autumn due to the flu and the insufficient vaccination rate, which might prove to be problematic in the autumn," Petlichkovski stated. The doctor, who serves as the Head of the Institute for Immunobiology and Human Genetics at Faculty of Medicine, also didn't rule our reintroducing mask mandate in schools "if it became necessary." "It seems we are reaching the peak of this Covid surge, which lasts for several weeks, before the number of infections starts dropping," Petlichkovski said. Asked about collective immunity, he said the country has reached a "solid level" like the rest of the world. "Some 50 percent of the population is vaccinated. People having combined immunity are considered to be best protected from new infections and from showing severe symptoms. That's why the healthcare institutions are not overwhelmed," Petlichkovski stated. Furthermore, doctor Petlichkovski noted that no monkeypox case has been registered so far in the country adding that tests have been procured.