MINSK, 22 February (BelTA) – The number of COVID-19 cases in Belarus has dropped by about 30%, Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich told reporters, as quoted by the press service of the ministry.
The traditional videoconference with the regions ended an hour ago. “We have calculated that the number of COVID-19 cases shrank by about 30%. According to experts, the workload on outpatient clinics is no longer as big as before,” Dmitry Pinevich said.
According to him, during this wave of the pandemic the number hospitalizations is fewer than in autumn, but there are still severely sick patients. “Therefore, it is important to be vaccinated, to take care, and to observe all the precautions. Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to keep the infection at bay. Anticipating your question, I will say: vaccines also work against the omicron variant,” he said.
The healthcare minister also noted that Western countries are now following in the footsteps of Belarus as they are combating the pandemic: they are embracing Belarus' COVID-19 response strategy.
Speaking about vaccination, Dmitry Pinevich emphasized that the vaccination rate exceeded 60% in many regions; the delivery of booster shoots is now underway. “The main thing is that we have managed to deliver vaccines to the most vulnerable population groups. Our targets for vaccinating people in the education system have also been met. We have managed to reach out to nonworking people. People aged over 70 years face significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract the disease. We urge them to get a vaccine or a booster vaccine shot,” the minister said.
At the same time, he stressed that “as the head of state said at the Belarusian People's Congress, doctors will keep fighting for every life and work tirelessly”.
