Open Society Foundations Pledge $1.5 Million for COVID-19 Tests in Kosovo
$ 1.5 mil will be spent to buy around 100,000 RT PCR tests for Kosovo institutions.
The Open Society Foundations today announced plans to donate $1,500,000 to assist Kosovo institutions in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emergency funds will be used by the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society to purchase 100,000 Real Time PCR test kits for COVID-19 and will enable public institutions to increase their testing capacities, including in regional hospitals—a huge boost for public institutions that currently provide 500 tests per day.
“Testing is an important step in helping control the pandemic,” said Alexander Soros, deputy chair of the Open Society Foundations. “Winning this fight against COVID-19 is key for the people of Kosovo to be able to thrive and prosper.”
The one-time emergency grant is part of wider relief efforts undertaken by the Open Society Foundations. In April, the Foundations pledged an investment of $130 million to address the devastation caused by the coronavirus worldwide. In Kosovo alone, Open Society has distributed over $600,000 towards aiding vulnerable communities, gig workers, and independent media.
“The pandemic has laid bare the vulnerabilities of our public health system and has devastated our economy,” said Luan Shllaku, executive director of the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society. “We hope that increasing testing capacities will assist Kosovo institutions in managing the health crisis and contribute to the safe re-opening of the economy.”