Skopje, Apr 7 (IANS): The number of Covid-19-related deaths in North Macedonia surpassed 4,000 on Tuesday as the Health Ministry reported 45 fatalities within 24 hours.

According to the ministry, the country's medical staff conducted 4,555 tests in the past 24 hours, of which 1,259 came back positive, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Forty-five coronavirus patients lost their lives in the same period, raising the number of fatalities in the country to 4,022.

On Tuesday, the total tally of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country reached 136,426, with 111,139 recoveries.

The government of North Macedonia decided on Monday to impose new restrictive measures for the period between April 7 and April 20.

Bars and restaurants, with the exception of delivery services, along with all sports and training centers will have to remain closed across the country. A nationwide curfew will be in force between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 269 candidate vaccines are still being developed globally -- 85 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the US, according to information released by the World Health Organization on April 2.