Krupsky district executive committee

It is essential to tackle the spread of fake news relate to coronavirus deaths, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the meeting in the Palace of Independence on 21 March, BelTA informs.

“You need to track down these websites, channels. A woman died in Vitebsk, this death had nothing to do with coronavirus, several tests were made after her death. I am reported about all similar deaths. Some sources started spreading fake stories that the woman died from coronavirus. Why? To spread panic,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said addressed KGB Chairman Valery Vakulchik.

The president emphasized the need to deal with “scumbags spreading those fake stories”. “Why are they trying to bully people?” he wondered. “Thank goodness, we are keeping things under control in this difficult time during a peak of acute respiratory diseases. Yet, they are trying to turn up the heat, set things on fire. People have already become immune to this silly talk in the internet. But why don't we deal with people who are doing it on purpose?”

According to the head of state, about 1,000 coronavirus tests were done in Minsk in the past 24 hours. All of them came back negative. “It is good, but we should not relax,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. He instructed Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova to take the work with the elderly, who are in the higher risk group, under special control. “It is not about coronavirus: there are many other viruses,” the president said.

Natalya Kochanova noted that she had already talked to heads of district administrations and instructed them to work with elderly people, to organize food delivery to their homes.

“I reiterate: it is not about coronavirus. It is about our integrity and discipline. Does it really matter why a person died? It is our lack of discipline. People should not die from viruses. We must take care of our people. We must encourage children to help elderly people. The main thing right now it to protect the elderly,” the head of state emphasized.

As it was reported, earlier a number of mass media outlets informed that a woman had died from coronavirus in Vitebsk. The Healthcare Ministry made a rebuttal.

According to the Healthcare Ministry, this was the fourth death story from journalists in the past two weeks. Previously they “buried” a famous businessman, a girl in Grodno, and a man in Lepel.

As the husband of the deceased talked to the press and enumerated all her diseases, the Healthcare Ministry had to confirm that the patient had been taken to hospital in Vitebsk on 15 March. “From the epidemiological anamnesis it became clear that the woman had not travelled abroad. She was initially admitted to hospital with pneumonia, and had fever for a week. She also suffered from diabetes, arterial hypertension, chronic bronchitis and obesity. On admission to hospital, she was diagnosed with pneumonia, and doctors, following the order of the Healthcare Ministry (all patients with pneumonia are tested for coronavirus), took a swab. A decision was also made to test her closest relatives,” reads the press release of the press service of the Healthcare Ministry.

“A negative coronavirus test came back the following day. The patient's closest relatives will get results next week. The Healthcare Ministry has extended condolences to the husband and family of the woman. This is a big loss,” the representatives of the ministry stressed.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko sent greetings to President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Arif Alvi as the country celebrates the national holiday - Pakistan Day, BelTA learned from the Belarusian leader's press service.

The head of state noted that in recent years Belarus and Pakistan have developed fruitful relations: political, economic ties and humanitarian contacts have been developing.

“I am convinced that our joint activities will contribute towards the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in all avenues,” the message of greetings reads.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Belarusians against all non-essential travel abroad due to the global impact of COVID-19 and warns about difficulties travelers might face when returning home, Anatoly Glaz, Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Office, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the media as he commented on the situation with the return of Belarusian travelers home after a number of countries had imposed travel restrictions in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, BelTA has learned.

“According to the State Border Committee of Belarus, some 11,000 citizens of our country have gone abroad in the last three days alone. We emphasize that these trips are made after clear recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to refrain from overseas travel,” said the official representative of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Once again, we strongly advise our people against all but essential trips abroad during this difficult period. Citizens who take such steps should be aware that they are doing it at their own risk,” said Anatoly Glaz.

As of 19 March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Belarusian foreign missions provided assistance in reaching home to more than 2,500 Belarusian citizens stranded abroad.

Belarusian diplomatic missions are currently focused on more than 1,500 Belarusian nationals abroad, who can potentially apply for the necessary assistance in the near future.

According to the ministry, in line with the head of state's instructions, close cooperation is maintained through the embassies of Belarus and Russia in Poland in order to address all issues related to the crossing of the Belarusian-Polish border by Russian citizens on their way home. The relevant interaction has also been built through other interested services.

The ministry and Belarusian diplomatic missions are also working to help Belarusian travelers to return home from Southeast Asian countries. According to initial estimates, more than 100 people are in the focus of our diplomatic missions.

The return of Belarusian citizens from Goa and Sri Lanka remains a complicated issue. The Belarusian embassy in India is in constant contact with Belarusian tourists. Consultations are held to keep the possibility for them to return home on previously booked flights.

Belarus remains in close contact with interested Russian agencies to find optimal ways to provide the transit of Belarusian citizens through the airport in Vnukovo. The parties have already outlined possible joint solutions to the situation. The Belarusian side expects a faster response from Russian partners to its requests.

The official representative of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that a visa-free entry for Belarusian citizens to Vietnam might be temporarily suspended from 21 March.

The first six patients to test positive for the novel coronavirus in Belarus has fully recovered and is out of isolation. The news was reported on the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.

Several more patients are getting ready to be discharged from hospital. Nine patients show symptoms of the COVID-19 infection. Eight of them display light symptoms of the virus and one patient is in intensive care. 37 more people who tested positive for the virus are currently under medical monitoring. They display no symptoms of the virus.

Some 1,960 people who have returned from at-risk countries remain under medical observation. Nearly 2,700 people who were under a 14-day surveillance have already been medically cleared. Seventeen out of all the coronavirus positive tests were imported. The rest is local transmission. The latest four cases have been imported from Spain, France, Germany and Saint Petersburg (they were identified at quarantine stations).

The Healthcare Ministry calls upon everyone who comes back to Belarus from at-risk countries to be honest when filling out questionnaires. "When crossing the border or arriving at the airport, travelers receive a questionnaire. They must fill it out and address the quarantine station. Medical workers and sanitary and epidemiologic specialists analyze the questionnaire and decide on collecting biomaterial from suspected COVID-19 patients if necessary,” Deputy Healthcare Minister Elena Bogdan said.

If a person has forgotten to visit the quarantine station, he or she can visit their territorial polyclinics and tell their doctors that they had been to at-risk countries (at the moment these are China, the Republic of Korea, Iran and Italy, but the list of such countries may change).

С 19 марта по 12 апреля мобильные датчики контроля скорости установят по следующим адресам:

Every day from 150 to 230 people are tested for coronavirus at Minsk National Airport, head of the epidemiology department of Minsk City Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology Yekaterina Khomchenko told reporters on 17 March, BelTA has learned.

“Public health professionals and laboratory workers are deployed at quarantine stations of the airport. There are two stations – one for passengers arriving from the Commonwealth of Independent States and the other for citizens of non-CIS states. Another two mobile stations to collect biological materials can be set up at rush hours. Every day we examine from 150 to 230 people depending on the passenger flow,” Yekaterina Khomchenko said.

Control measures have been enhanced at the airport. Passengers undergo double thermal imaging control: at first people are screened on board a plane, after that the procedure is repeated in the airport building. Non-contact thermometers are used for more accurate measuring of temperature in people who showed increased temperature during thermal imaging.

People arriving from Italy, Iran, China and South Korea should fill in questionnaires. They should specify where exactly they have been and provide their contact details. They should also take tests. The information is forwarded to the quarantine stations. The quarantine stations process this information and notify medical professionals in the locations passengers are heading to about the need for medical observation of a particular person. Yekaterina Khomchenko noted that passengers take tests during customs control before they receive their luggage.

If people coming to Belarus from these four countries have not had an opportunity to take tests at the airport but feel healthy, they will be able to take tests later in Minsk Infectious Diseases Hospital or Children's Infectious Diseases Hospital. If a person falls sick, he/she needs to inform a local polyclinic and call an ambulance.

In order to minimize the possibility of importing the virus, the airport undertakes regular disinfection events, with a focus on most crowded areas of the airport.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko is holding a meeting to discuss Belarus' social and economic development in 2019 and achievements in 2016-2020 on 17 March, BelTA has learned.

The traditional meeting at the Palace of Independence is attended by about 50 top-ranking government officials, representatives of the parliament and the Belarus President Administration, governors.

Constitution Day has become a symbol of freedom and independence of the Belarusian people, of a centuries-long way of development of the state and the society, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he wished a happy Constitution Day, which was celebrated on 15 March, to Belarusian compatriots, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

“The continuity of national legal traditions, the use of the best achievements of the global legislative experience were reflected in the Constitution. Its adoption determined the main goals of our modern history. History, where the rights and liberties of citizens come to the forefront, people and fair attitude to them become a priority,” the message of greetings reads.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that the observation of the norms of the Fundamental Law guarantees a coordinated and productive operation of all branches of power, accord in the society, development of the competitive economy, efficiency of the social policy, which is aimed at creating favorable conditions for the all-round development of every person.

The president wished strong health and happiness to all Belarusians. He also wished peace and prosperity to sovereign Belarus.

From March 28 to April 4, the republican voluntary action “Forest Week” will be held for the thirteenth time in Minsk Oblast, the press service of the Ministry of Forestry reports.

The action will be dedicated to the Year of the Small Motherland and is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory. And its main goal is to attract public attention to the need for careful attitude to the forest.

During this event, participants will be engaged in forest planting, cleanliness in forests and restoration of places of mass recreation.

Anyone can join the "Forest Week". To do this, contact the nearest leshoz or forestry. Forestry institutions will provide all the necessary equipment and planting material, and will also show objects in need of restoration.

By the way, the initiator of the action is the Ministry of Forestry.

Belarus' Ambassador to Hungary Aleksandr Ponomarev has taken part in the Celebrating Common Victory international campaign timed to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory and visited the graves of Soviet soldiers in the towns of Kaposvar and Szekesfehervar, BelTA learned from the Belarusian diplomatic mission.

“Soil from the burial places was taken to be given to the All Saints Church in Minsk. About 80,000 Soviet soldiers and officers gave their lives to free Hungary from Nazism,” the diplomatic mission informed.

The ambassador met with senior officials of Kaposvar and Szekesfehervar and local activists and held talks at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Fejer County.