KRASNOYARSK, April 13. /TASS/. Norilsk Nickel allocated 10.5 bln rubles ($142.72 mln) to combat the spread of coronavirus, the company announced on Monday.
"The money is being used to purchase medical supplies, including medicine and personal protective equipment for medical institutions and Nornickel Group enterprises and employees, and on additional means of support for company employees and small and medium-sized businesses in the regions of Nornickel’s presence," the company said in a statement.
According to the report, "In order to prepare for the potential spread of the COVID-19 pandemic to the cities of Nornickel’s operation, the company has taken extensive prophylactic measures to purchase all the necessary medications and medical equipment for treating the coronavirus, including for diagnosis, emergency care, and treatment in the ICU. The company has also purchased equipment to repurpose existing medical facilities".
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 1,800,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 114,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 428,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 18,328 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,470 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 148 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.