Mikhail Mushustin’s opening remarks
Statement by Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
Meeting of the Presidium of the Government Coordination Council to control the incidence of the novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation
Today we are holding a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Coordination Council to control the incidence of the novel coronavirus infection.
I would like to hold an in-depth discussion on our services’ readiness to continue implementing the instructions issued by the Coordination Council.
We will hear statements by Healthcare Minister Mikhail Murashko and Chief State Sanitary Physician Anna Popova.
Mr Murashko, please go ahead.
Mikhail Murashko: Good day, Mr Mishustin, colleagues.
As of this moment, while working on measures to prepare our healthcare facilities to combat the new coronavirus infection, we have first of all adopted a procedure for organising the activities of the healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of the disease and to reduce the related risks. It includes the block of topics related to the provision of first aid, as well as emergency and hospital assistance, including measures to protect our medical staff, prevent the spread of the coronavirus and ensure safety.
We have also updated and released methodological recommendations for medical workers, which include all stages of medical assistance.
Mikhail Murashko delivering a report at a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Coordination Council to control the incidence of the novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation
Work is ongoing at the regional and federal levels to create facilities with additional beds. We planned to have 55,000 beds, but we can double this amount, and the same goes for the protection of the people and medical personnel at all stages. We have coordinated the location of these facilities and the necessary beds, and the figure can be doubled to take into account the requirements of federal and regional medical facilities.
We have established intensive care consultation centres manned by our leading specialists, who will provide consultative assistance in all the regions. In particular, we have established mobile groups, which will fly to the regions that require practical patient assistance.
We have a sufficient stock of the required medicine. We have also held meetings, together with the Industry and Trade Ministry, with all pharmaceuticals manufacturers. They have confirmed that they have the necessary production capacities. Several sorts of Russian medicine are undergoing certification. Permits can be issued for these medicines so that they can enter the pharmaceutical market in the near future and help to improve the market situation and reinforce our safety.
As of today, we have five registered test kits for diagnosing the coronavirus infection. They can be manufactured by both state and private companies. I would like to say that a substantial number of requests, including registration requests, have been submitted, which means that Russian researchers and producers have the potential for deploying and expanding the virus diagnosing capability.
As for the organisation and methods, I have mentioned the establishment of intensive care/consultation centres, which can be used to monitor patients around Russia. Additional funds allocated to increase the reserve of medical equipment have been transferred to the regions, which are buying the necessary equipment. The Finance Ministry has taken the decisions needed to accelerate this procedure.
Mikhail Mishustin: It is very important. Today Ms Golikova and I drew up instructions for Roszdravnadzor to verify the true readiness in the Russian regions – the number of hospital beds, the necessary equipment, and to generally assess the situation associated with the deployment of additional beds in isolated wards. This, I expect you to sum up, and we will have to respond on a daily basis. Ms Popova, go ahead please.
Anna Popova: Mr Mishustin, ladies and gentlemen,
Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova reporting at a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Coordination Council to control the incidence of the novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation
On your instructions, we are enforcing increased sanitary-quarantine control at the Russian state border. All necessary measures have been organised and partially implemented.
To date, the Russian Federation has 438 registered infections with the novel coronavirus, including 16 foreign citizens. Every seventh of that number was identified from among previous cases’ contacts – we are working intensively on this. To date, 7,110 people who have been in contact with confirmed cases remain under surveillance. Over the reporting period, we have examined and tested 10,365 contacts, of which 3,255 have been taken off medical supervision. This work is continuing and intensifying.
I would like to note that to date, 163,259 tests have been carried out with the help of five testing systems. To expand our capabilities, according to the Chief State Sanitary Doctor’s resolution, 161 medical centres that received test kits for 107,000 patients are starting this work in 22 Russian regions today. Over the past two days, they have tested almost 1,000 people. We have certain results, and we will expand this list.
I would like to point out that we have changed the confirmation algorithm. And today we have more facilities than just Vector, we also have the Anti-Plague Centre in Moscow, which set up a new, modern reference centre for PCR diagnostics of the novel coronavirus infection. In the future, over a period of the next week, we will expand this list to 15 research institutions under Rospotrebnadzor in all the regions. That is, we are reducing the arm for a reference assessment of the results, including in the medical service.
As for the resolution on compulsory medical supervision and quarantine of all arrivals from various countries, to date, according to the reported figures, 69,932 people have crossed the border into the Russian Federation and have been quarantined. But I would like to note the number of people put under medical supervision or quarantined – I am referring to mandatory isolation, not self-isolation– is 8 percent less. In this regard, I would like to ask you, Mr Mishustin, to expedite the execution of the instructions you gave earlier to increase administrative liability for breaking quarantine. Today it is very relevant.
Mikhail Mishustin: Yes, we will certainly do this. We will formulate this based on the results of the Presidium meeting.
I would also like to thank your colleagues and doctors for their dedicated work that has enabled active logistics and an accounting system in the shortest time (Moscow did it especially fast, with the involvement of the Moscow Department of Healthcare). Due to their fast response, we now have the conditions for testing people without being overwhelmed, and the whole situation is under control.
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