MINSK, 25 May (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has urged not to relax despite the improving situation with the coronavirus in the country as he addressed a meeting to discuss the important social, economic, and political matters in Minsk on 25 May, BelTA has learned.
“I have repeated it often this month: if the situation continues to improve, we shall think that, with God's help, we have prevailed over this disease. It all started from Vitebsk. Now Vitebsk has one of the smallest number of new cases. This is backed by the fact that we have already started to clean up and disinfect hospitals we previously prepared as a reserve,” the Belarusian president said.
He noted that the same is observed in Minsk. “The situation has already plateaued, according to doctors. I am not that optimistic, due to my superstition,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. In view of the changing situation, a number of healthcare facilities in Minsk are planning to return to normal operation, including cancer and gynecology divisions, the emergency hospital. “We understand that we will not need these hospitals in Minsk [for treating coronavirus patients],” the president added.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that the number of new cases has leveled off and even went down a bit in Minsk Oblast. Positive news also comes from Mogilev Oblast. “If this is true, then there will remain only two regions – Brest Oblast and Gomel Oblast – that we need to control. They were the last to enter the process, and specialists say that they will be the last to emerge from it, about a week later,” the head of state noted.
He pointed out that he studies information about the situation on a daily basis, twice a day. “There are enough beds. There are fewer severe cases. It seems, the virus has weakened, its virulence has decreased. God willing, it has. However, we should keep in mind the second wave. No one has yet proven that it will follow, but we need to stand ready. No one knows when it strikes. If in the autumn or winter, then I hope we will be prepared properly. Perhaps, this peril will pass by. Nevertheless, there is no relaxing yet,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
The president mentioned Minsk as an example of well-organized control over the coronavirus situation. Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova, who is in charge of the situation in the capital, to tell him about her approaches. “I don't mean treatment, I know about this, I mean how you have controlled this. I believe there is something to learn from Minsk. Because the situation is difficult – there are over two million people here – and it was hard to get things going. In any case, there is no time to relax,” the president added.
