NOVO-OGARYOVO, April 28. /TASS/. Production of lung ventilators and protective gear has considerably increased in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, adding however that production of individual protective gear is not enough.
"Whereas some 60-70 lung ventilators were manufactured in Russia a month by the beginning of the year, production grew to more than 800 in April and will further increased to 2,500 in May," Putin said at a government meeting on the coronavirus situation in the country.
"Production of face masks has increased by more than ten times, from 800,000 a day at the beginning of the year to 8.5 million in April," he said.
"Production of individual protective gear for medics was 3,000 a day in March, and will be 100,000 a day by late April, and more than 150,000 by mid-May," Putin noted. "The figure is quite big as compared with what we has not long ago but is not enough now," he stressed.
According to the president, despite the growth of domestic production and large imports, there are shortages for some medical items. He demanded the ministry of industry and trade "organize work to increase production daily."
"As for testing systems, our industry has increased their production in March-April by nine times. Whereas only 2,500 tests for coronavirus were done a day in early March, now around 150,000 such tests are done a day. Or by 60 times more," he said, adding that more people will be tested for the infection.
To date, a total of 93,558 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 8,456 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 867 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.