MINSK, 28 February (BelTA) – The situation with coronavirus remains absolutely manageable in Belarus, Belarusian Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik told reporters on 28 February, BelTA has learned.
The minister underlined that “as of today, the situation is absolutely under control”. There is no need to shut down borders, and this is impossible in principle, he believes. “Our task is to make sure all people arriving in Belarus undergo adequate medical screenings at the border checkpoints,” Vladimir Karanik said.
The World Health Organization does not recommend closing borders for a number of reasons. First, it will encourage uncontrollable migration. Illegal migrants will be afraid to seek medical help if they feel unwell, which can lead to the uncontrollable spread of the virus. Travelers stuck in transit zones after a decision of one or another country to close borders, might find themselves in the hotbeds of the infection, Vladimir Karanik said.
According to the minister, there is no need to make everyone wear face masks in public, either. “This does not help, the WHO also admitted it,” he noted.
Speaking about Belarus' first case of coronavirus, Vladimir Karanik noted that preliminary investigation suggests that this is COVID-19. “We are double checking it using other tests to make sure that this is the virus,” the minister noted. The Iranian student diagnosed with the infection is under medical surveillance, his condition is satisfactory. The doctors say that the young man did not have any cough. This suggests a lower risk of passing the virus to other people.
