MINSK, 7 April (BelTA) – In January-March 2020 the total mortality in Belarus went down 4% year-on-year, mortality due to pneumonia reduced by 9%, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a government meeting to discuss the epidemiological situation in the country on 7 April, BelTA has learned.
In January-March 2020, a total of 18,500 people died of circulatory diseases, almost 5,000 people – of cancer. In January-March 2020 a total of 254 people died of pneumonia.
“We have a drop [in flu deaths] by almost 9%. This is currently our number one issue amid the virus outbreak,” the president said.
The head of state added that from 1 January to 5 April 2020 a total of 860 people died in Belarus due to external reasons, 15 people down from 2019. “I will reiterate that flu deaths stood at 254,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state said that about 400 people of the above-mentioned number died as a result of suicides, 85 as a result of murders, 206 people died in fires and 107 in road accidents. “Some 60-70 people on average die because of the above-mentioned reasons in the country a week. Almost 70 people died from 30 March to 5 April, and 13 – due to the coronavirus,” the president said.
"I am saying this to remind everyone that apart from the coronavirus we have other diseases as well. It does not mean that we have to weaken the work on this major world problem. No. We have united our efforts in this fight and we must withstand,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
