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Russian President Vladimir Putin says the coronavirus pandemic is under full control in his country, adding that Moscow has all the necessary resources to protect people’s health and support the economy under these circumstances.
“All levels of power are working in an organized, responsible and timely way,” Putin said in a video message to congratulate Christians on the Orthodox Easter on Sunday, adding, “The situation is under full control. All of our society is united in front of the common threat.”
“All measures on protecting human lives and health, supporting economy require additional and major resources and reserves. We have got them. We are using them diligently and surgically, depending on the particular situation and first of all to help people and those families, which are facing a challenging situation now,” he added.
Putin said authorities are working proactively to combat the virus and are carefully analyzing other countries’ experiences.
“We thoroughly analyze the experiences of other countries, [and] actively interact with our foreign friends and colleagues. We understand what is happening, we see the risks, we know what needs to be done in any situation, and we do what is necessary. We work ahead of schedule,” he stated.
The Russian president further noted that everything will be fine with God’s help.
Separately on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russia’s RIA news agency as saying there was hope that signs might start appearing next week that the number of coronavirus cases, which have risen relentlessly, might begin to plateau.
Russia has so far reported 42,853 confirmed cases of the deadly flu-like pathogen, with an official death toll of 361.
The coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19, emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei Province late last year, incrementally affecting the rest of the world.
The virus has so far infected over 2,358,256 people worldwide, and over 161,902 have died, according to a running count by worldometers.info.
Belarus strongman attends church for Easter, slams virus curbs
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has chastised other countries for stopping people attending Orthodox Easter services as he defiantly visited a church outside the capital.
The strongman has cast doubt on the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic and allowed public events such as football matches to continue while the country of nine million has more than 4,000 confirmed cases.
While many countries held Orthodox Easter services in closed churches with online and televised broadcasts, Belarus kept churches open to the public.
“I don’t approve of those who have closed people’s way to church. I don’t approve of such a policy,” Lukashenko said while visiting the church, Belta state news agency reported on Sunday.
“You know my position: we experience these viruses every year.”
Pakistan repatriates UAE-based nationals stranded by the coronavirus
Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labor ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 “stranded passengers” from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan’s consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.
It was not clear when other flights would depart.
More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Persian Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.
The UAE and other Persian Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters.
On Sunday, the UAE announced another 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths so far.
UK not thinking of easing virus lockdown measures yet: minister
Britain is not considering lifting the lockdown imposed almost four weeks ago to control the coronavirus outbreak given “deeply worrying” increases in the death toll, a senior minister said on Sunday.
Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis in which more than 15,000 people have died – the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said a Buzzfeed report that the government was considering lifting the lockdown in phases over the coming months was not correct.
“The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet,” Gove told Sky News.
The latest data show 15,464 people have died in British hospitals after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, a total that has increased by more than 800 for three days running.
A further 2,500 had died in care homes during the week to April 13, according to the National Care Forum, a representative body for the adult social care sector.
“One of the things that are deeply worrying and concerning is the high level of deaths,” Gove said.
“The evidence suggests that the rate of infection and the death rate is flattening, but we’re not absolutely certain that we are yet on a downward trajectory.”
Swiss coronavirus death toll rises to 1,135
The Swiss death toll from the novel coronavirus has reached 1,135 people, the country’s public health agency said on Sunday, rising from 1,111 on Saturday.
The number of people showing positive tests for the disease increased to 27,740, it said, up from 27,404.
