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Coronavirus pandemic

Putin stresses need to increase resources at Russian hospitals

He reminded that the corresponding federal aid had been allocated for this purpose

© Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

NOVO-OGARYOVO, April 8. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed the importance of increasing resources at Russian hospitals to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"I will start with an urgent task for all regions. Hospitals must be on high alert, their resources and capabilities must be expanded. Right now, this is definitely a priority," the Russian leader said during the video conference with Russian regional heads.

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Russia has means to solve problems in any coronavirus scenario, says Putin

He reminded that the corresponding federal aid had been allocated for this purpose. "Namely, over 33 bln rubles (about $438 mln - TASS) have been allocated to place additional specialized beds at hospitals and infectious wards." "Moreover, 13 bln rubles (about $172.5 mln - TASS) have been allocated for the purchase of medical equipment, including artificial ventilation equipment, ambulances and resuscitation ambulances that will be sent to the regions starting April," the president noted.

"Let’s hope that the healthcare resources we are creating and the additional capacities will not be fully necessary. However, we must be ready to fight for the life of each person in every region," Putin stressed.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 1,400,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 82,000 deaths have been reported. That said, over 300,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.

To date, a total of 8,672 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 580 patients having recovered from the virus. Moscow accounts for the majority of cases (5,841). The country’s latest data indicates 63 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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