Mariupol is preparing for a possible third wave of the pandemic. To date, work has begun to increase the bed stock in hospital facilities and to equip additional oxygen points. This was reported to Mayor Vadym Boichenko by the heads of the relevant departments during an extended briefing on the fight against coronavirus infection.
"For three weeks in Mariupol there was a certain stability in the confrontation with COVID-19 and it gave us confidence that we overcame the second wave of the pandemic. Today the situation is manageable and stable in terms of deployed beds and their occupancy, but the dynamics this week shows the growth of patients. Today in Ukraine there are certain fluctuations with the pandemic and Mariupol must be ready for a possible third outbreak of COVID-19, which may occur in January," Vadym Boichenko said.
Andriy Rempel, director of the city council's health department, said that Mariupol had begun preparations for a possible deterioration of the pandemic situation. According to the most pessimistic forecasts, the incidence rate and, accordingly, the number of hospitalized may increase threefold. So, if at the end of November about 300 beds were occupied, in January there were 900.
“Today, 603 beds have been deployed in the hospital bases of Mariupol. In order to prepare for a possible deterioration of the situation, we are now deploying an additional 340 beds. For the second half of January, the bed stock will be more than 940 beds. For this purpose, current repairs are being carried out in the premises of the city hospital №9, which are not involved in the work. They will be equipped with the necessary soft and hard equipment in time,” Andriy Rempel reported.
According to him, the number of oxygen points will also increase. Due to the support of Metinvest Group, 343 oxygen points with centralized oxygen supply have been deployed in hospital bases. Now the third stage of reversal of oxygen points will start, which will provide another 345 beds with oxygen. In addition, there are 40 oxygen concentrators, in late December - early January is expected to supply an additional 220 oxygen concentrators, which are purchased by the regional administration at the expense of the state budget.
"Thus, by mid-January, we plan to deploy more than 940 beds and all of them will be provided with either a centralized oxygen supply or oxygen concentrators. If necessary, there will be 40 mobile teams for outpatients. All activities possible for two waves of coronavirus are included in the budget. All mobile crews are provided with PPE until the end of February and in the future we will constantly replenish them with a reserve of two months,” the director of the health department summed up.
Besides, all necessary purchases are being made today, and the PCR laboratory is provided with the necessary reagents until April 2021.
“The PCR laboratory works in a planned mode - it does 400 tests a day, which fully covers the needs. Our laboratory has a large power reserve. We can, if necessary, triple the volume of research. For this, there are material and technical capabilities and staff, " the director of the city hospital №4 Volodymyr Zhygil said.
In this regard, the possible introduction of a lockdown can break the chain of infections. Serhiy Orleansky, director of the emergency care hospital, is convinced of this: “The World Health Organization recommends introducing a lockdown in order to reduce the burden on the medical network. And so that the wave of infection does not exceed the capabilities of our bed stock. These measures are aimed at saving human lives. "
He said that in the fight against the spread of the pandemic, countries are conducting a number of studies aimed at determining the level of collective immunity in order to predict the future course of action. In Mariupol, a study is being conducted on the immune picture for the presence of antibodies.
Vadym Boichenko stressed that such analytics will help Mariupol prepare professionally for possible outbreaks of the pandemic. He concluded by urging all residents to continue to comply with quarantine restrictions and three simple rules: wear a mask, keep a distance and disinfect.
Information on areas for combating COVID-19 and compliance with quarantine restrictions:
Healthcare:
• 2,368 patients with confirmed COVID-19 are being treated in the city.
• all patients are under medical supervision;
• Primary health care centers provide medical surveillance of people who have been in contact with suspected and COVID-19 patients;
• A total of 7,648 patients recovered in Mariupol.
Transport:
• urban public transport operates on a regular basis;
• transportation is carried out only in personal protective equipment;
• daily three-time sanitary washing and transport treatment is carried out. All drivers and conductors are equipped with protective equipment;
• information boards and the martrans application work in a regular mode;
• outbreak of the disease among conductors and drivers - not observed.
Public utilities:
• all utilities operate on a full-time basis, all necessary services are provided to residents;
• entrances are processed;
• Drinking water analysis is performed twice a day from March 18. Sewage - every hour. There are no deviations.
Security:
• The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine abolished the weekend quarantine. Accordingly, all restrictions that were in effect at the weekend are lifted.
• Today there are restrictions typical of the "orange zone";
• It is forbidden to hold concerts, sports and cultural events. The cafe is open after 22:00 (later only takeaway).
Education:
• The situation in educational institutions is stable;
• In schools, out of 40,000 children - 8% with SARS, only 64 children have COVID-19. Only 14 children are sick in the kindergarten out of 7.5 thousand.
