ST. PETERSBURG, April 1. / TASS /. The St. Petersburg administration is working on resuming the production of mechanical ventilation devices, as the city is experiencing a shortage of them, St. Petersburg Deputy Governor Yevgeny Yelin said on Wednesday.

"There is a problem in the availability of mechanical ventilation devices. We will restart the production of ventilators in St. Petersburg, their production was suspended about six months ago. We also expect ventilator deliveries through the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and are working directly with suppliers," said Yelin.

He added that the city is financially ready to provide medical facilities with mechanical ventilation devices. The necessary funds are available in the St. Petersburg budget. In particular, he said, funds for their purchase came from the federal budget.

According to the administration, 98 people in St.Petersburg have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, 11 have gotten better, and two passed away.

The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has affected most countries in the world, beginning with the outbreak in central China in late December 2019. According to the latest data, more than 850,000 people have contracted the coronavirus globally and over 42,000 have died. Russia has registered a total of 2,777 coronavirus cases. The death toll has reached 24 and 190 patients have recovered, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center.