Moscow has registered nearly no cases of coronavirus infection through contact with Chinese citizens, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said in an interview with Sputnik.
"Basically, we have almost no cases of infection from Chinese citizens," Sobyanin said.
The mayor noted, however, that it became clear following the coronavirus outbreak in China's Wuhan that the Russian capital would be affected as well, taking into consideration the significant volume of travel between the countries. This is why urgent measures were implemented to prevent the coronavirus from spreading into Moscow and Russia in general.
"The system was not ready for tracing every single person [every tourist from China], where they all stay, where they live," Sobyanin recalled.
The mayor said that best medical facilities are needed to efficiently counter the coronavirus, tents cannot be sufficient, stressing the need to apply advanced technologies.
"One cannot cope with it without any special effort, on a football field. Powerful multitask hospitals are needed, only they can serve as the nucleus and ensure efficient coronavirus response, as they have top-tier teams of doctors and nurses. One cannot just erect tents and say: so, you go there and we will be running around you. This is not enough. This has no sense," Sobyanin said.
Moscow is providing its best facilities to COVID-19 patients, such as the new infectious diseases hospital in Kommunarka, the new perinatal center and the 15th Filatov pediatric clinical hospital, the mayor noted.
"High-tech solutions, oxygen availability, artificial lung ventilators and life-support departments are needed to counter the coronavirus. It should be understood that a significant share of patients suffer from serious chronic diseases, and that it will be necessary to provide surgical, gynecological, oncological and literally all kind of services as well," Sobyanin added.
He went on to say that Moscow has started boosting its production sector and even creating reserves in order to ensure efficient disinfection of the city amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"In the beginning we lacked disinfection facilities, but the production industry ramps up volumes, and we have already started creating reserves ... to ensure smooth and coherent disinfection of the city," Sobyanin said.
The mayor praised the city's housing and communal services system, adding that Moscow is facing no lack of equipment and forces for disinfection.