MINSK, 17 April (BelTA) – The city of Minsk and Vitebsk Oblast have registered the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in Belarus, Belarus Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik told journalists, BelTA has learned.
Minsk has 2,308 cases, Vitebsk Oblast – 1,282, and Minsk Oblast – 588. The numbers are considerably lower in other regions: 217 cases in Mogilev Oblast, 193 in Gomel Oblast, 112 in Brest Oblast, and 79 in Grodno Oblast. However, residents of the regions with fewer cases should not relax and ignore the hygiene and safety measures recommended by the Healthcare Ministry. “These measures concern all citizens regardless of the number of cases in their district,” Vladimir Karanik said.
For example, 32 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Osipovichi, including 12 healthcare workers. “At present, the situation in Osipovichi is under control. There are no severe cases. Some people are under medical supervision, others are getting treatment,” he added.
The hotbed in Myadel District, where the virus hit one of health resorts, has been localized. The district has 68 coronavirus patients, with no severe cases as well.
The regional breakdown of COVID-19 cases is highly requested information, Vladimir Karanik noted. However, both the Healthcare Ministry and WHO believe that there are certain risks related to publishing such data. “Unfortunately, our analysis of the online media has shown that these risks are still present,” he said. “There have even been attempts to invade the privacy the coronavirus patients and to find out the details even without their consent. Reporting the first coronavirus case does not call for investigating the situation in a city or an enterprise,” the minister stressed.
According to the recent coronavirus update, 342 coronavirus patients have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital. Some first-level contacts are self-isolating at home and are under medical supervision. “All in all, 582 people have been discharged from the hospital in the past day, including patients with no symptoms of a respiratory infection and those with suspected coronavirus who tested negative,” Vladimir Karanik said.
In general, the situation in the country is under control, the minister remarked. The adopted measures help avoid the overload of the healthcare system. “Of course, the epidemic is still progressing, given that we live in a global world and that transport communication is quite active,” Vladimir Karanik said. He added that Belarus has reported several imported cases. At present, the healthcare system has enough resources to provide the necessary medical assistance.
