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Coronavirus pandemic

Putin: coronavirus situation stabilizing in Moscow and across Russia

Moscow averted the worst coronavirus spread scenarios, according to the president

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

NOVO-OGARYOVO, May 27. /TASS/. The situation with the coronavirus spread in Moscow and across Russia is gradually stabilizing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Wednesday.

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"The situation in Moscow and across the country as a whole is, indeed, stabilizing. Compared to the peak levels in early May, the number of identified coronavirus cases has halved while the volumes of tests are constantly growing," Putin said.

According to the data cited by the president, the number of coronavirus tests conducted daily grew twofold from late April to late May: from 25,000 to 50,000. Considerably more people are daily discharged from Moscow hospitals than new patients are admitted while the stock of free hospital beds stands at about 10,000, Putin said.

"I consider it extremely important that a part of hospital beds earlier repurposed for treating coronavirus patients is beginning to return to the regime of planned work to provide the necessary assistance to people with other illnesses that are also serious and dangerous," the president said.

According to him, Moscow managed to avert the worst coronavirus spread scenarios.

The head of state noted that the city created significant reserves of medical equipment and drugs," which, by the way, […] other world megalopolises did not."

"At least, they did not do it as timely as you did in Moscow, " the president pointed out.

"You made it having the worst case scenario in mind. Fortunately, these scenarios have obviously been averted," Putin said.

According to the president the recent improvement of the epidemiologic situation is a direct consequence of measures taken by the Moscow administration.

Putin noted the role of medical workers in fight against the epidemic, underscoring that they act professionally and selflessly. "Moscow medics, nurses and medical personnel in general have gained a unique experience of treatment and prevention of the coronavirus infection," the president said.

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