Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the country's efforts at combating the coronavirus pandemic saying the nation has managed to handle the threat proactively, while admitting that the number of new daily cases continues to rise.
The president added that in order to maintain the same efficiency in the coming days, the country needs to take certain actions. Among these Putin named the necessity of drafting short-, medium-, and long-term forecasts of the situation regarding the pandemic, taking into consideration every possibility.
"We must take into account all scenarios, even the most extreme and complex ones, in order to adequately and timely alter our strategy and tactics, especially when it comes to providing medical help to our citizens", Putin said.
Vladimir Putin noted that the coming weeks will determine the way the pandemic continues in the country arguing that all mechanisms to fight it must perform efficiently.
The president stressed that all the resources needed to combat the spread of the infection and treat COVID-19 patients, such as protective gear and ventilators, must be spread across the nation’s regions based on their objective necessities. He noted that the country is currently facing a shortage of protective equipment for medical personnel and ordered the government to take steps to eliminate this deficit.
The president also suggested tapping into the resources of the Russian military to cover any shortcomings that emerge during the fight with the outbreak. Putin acknowledged their experience in handling complicated situations and recalled that right now the Russian military is effectively helping foreign countries battle the pandemic.
Since the start of the pandemic 18,328 COVID-19 cases have been registered in Russia with 148 of them resulting in fatalities. Some 1,470 people have recovered from the infection as of 13 April. While the mortality rate in Russia remains well below the world average, the rate of new infections has been recently gaining pace with over 2,500 new cases registered in the last 24 hours.
