MINSK, March 30. /TASS/. As many as 995 more novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in Belarus in the past day, with the overall number of such cases exceeding 320,000, the health ministry reported on Monday.

"As many as 320,594 people have tested positive for COVID-19," it said, adding that the daily tally was 995.

A total of 2,237 coronavirus patients with a number of chronic diseases have died since the epidemic outbreak, it said, adding that ten such deaths were reported during the past day. According to the latest update, as many as 310,083 coronavirus patients have recovered from the disease, including 794 who were released from hospitals during the past day. A total of 5,349,784 tests for the novel coronavirus have been conducted in the country since the epidemic outbreak, including 8,683 during the past day.

Belarus did not impose any coronavirus lockdowns, with mass gathering not being banned. The authorities say the country’s public health system is coping with the second wave of the epidemic. However, people are requested to wear face masks in public places. A vaccination campaign as part of post-registration tests of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine kicked off in Belarus from October 1. Belarus was second after Russia to register this vaccine. Mass vaccination was launched in late December 2020 after the first batch of the Russian vaccine had been delivered to the country. It is planned to inoculate some more than 5.5 million people.

On February 19, Belarus received a batch of 100,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine on a free basis and its mass use began from mid-March.

A pilot batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine was manufactured in Belarus on February 26. Mass production of this vaccine kicked off on March 25. According to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the country may develop its own vaccine by the yearend.

Meanwhile, medics say a third wave of the pandemic may begin in Minsk in late March or early April.