Vladimir Andreichenko: the focus in the fight against coronavirus needs to be shifted to the regions

The focus in combating coronavirus infection should be shifted to the districts, as the virus has reached them. This opinion was expressed to journalists by the Chairman of the House of Representatives, Vladimir Andreichenko, before the meeting of the regional headquarters for combating the spread of coronavirus and protecting the population in Vitebsk.

According to the speaker, the Vitebsk region is a zone of special attention. Not only in terms of control, but also in terms of assistance from republican authorities. The Minister of Health is assigned to the region. Medical workers and regional authorities are implementing a set of measures to combat the infection, and many issues have been resolved positively today compared to what they were 10 days ago.

"The situation is serious, and under no circumstances should we give up. Now we need to shift the focus to the districts, because the virus has reached them, people are in hospitals. The material base in the districts is somewhat worse than in the regional centers, so we need to help the medical staff financially as well," said Vladimir Andreichenko.

He stressed that we should not forget about nursing homes for the elderly now. There are 81 such institutions in the country today, with 20,000 elderly citizens living there permanently, and 15,000 people serving them. "Therefore, the President instructed the parliamentary corps to take control of this issue. Deputies of the House of Representatives monitor the situation daily and provide assistance where needed. Everyone should do their job and learn to live by new rules. The faster we do this, the faster we will overcome this scourge," the speaker noted.

The scientific community has joined the fight against the virus. Teachers of the Vitebsk Medical University are providing remote consultations to doctors working in the districts. "Special words of gratitude go to the medical workers. They are fighting the infection professionally, responsibly, humanely, sparing no effort. This has helped to relieve the strain and stabilize the growth rate of pneumonia in the Vitebsk region; the numbers have even decreased compared to yesterday," said Vladimir Andreichenko.

According to him, healthcare workers are provided with personal protective equipment, and the supply will be sufficient for the near future. The issue is being resolved promptly, and enterprises in the northern region are working on it.

BELTA.