Serb official: Belgrade ignored rise of infection in northern Kosovo for weeks

 He also accused Belgrade of ignoring the pandemic in northern Kosovo, mostly populated by the Serbs, for the first several weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that "affected people there."

"Unfortunately, not enough attention was paid in the beginning. A belated warning from Belgrade led to a rise in the number of infected," Rasic told Radio Kosovo 2 in Serbian.

He said the Serbs in southern Kosovo, with the majority of the Albanian population, were in a different position since "they have listened to advice from Pristina."

"We started with the isolation on time... That's why the Serbs living in the south are less endangered,"  Rasic said.

Speaking about the Kosovo Government aid package for several population categories, he said that pensioners and some other social groups would get a double monthly pay in for April and May.

The additional aid also covered the poorest people, most exposed to the virus, shop assistances and those who lost jobs due to the crisis, according to Rasic.

He added that two million Euro were allocated in aid to communities and endangered groups and that his office would be for the distribution.

All those measures will last until May 25, Rasic said.