Moldovan Supreme Security Council approves more scenarios on managing situation concerning COVID-19

Chisinau, 11 March /MOLDPRES/ - Thirty one people have been hospitalized with symptoms similar to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. Samples were collected for thirty of them. President Igor Dodon has made statements to this effect at the end of a meeting of the Supreme Security Council (CSS).   

The head of state noted that CSS today had declared COVID-19 a national security problem and approved four scenarios of managing the situation. Dodon also informed that CSS had taken ten decisions.

According to the Moldovan president, a single command centre will set up just today and the head of state or the prime minister will ensure its leadership. The first meeting of this centre will take place today at 16:30. Also, a decision was taken that the Defence Ministry and the Interior Ministry put their hospitals at the disposal and intervene, if necessary.

Under CSS’s decision, enhanced measures will be taken at the border on the next period, especially as Romania does not allow access to or transiting of its territory by foreign citizens. Nevertheless, Dodon said, ‘’we might have a big flow at the border with Ukraine and in connection with this, a decision was taken to strengthen the border checkpoints from northern Moldova.’’

Also according to CSS’s decision, the employees from the public and private sectors will be questioned about the places visited and whether they have contacted with people from risk zones and the public institutions will be checked whether they observe the hygiene norms. Also, decision-makers consider possibility of reducing queues at post offices and bringing pensions to elderly people at home.      

The head of state specified that there were no risks in terms of providing citizens with food products. Nevertheless, if some businessmen might take advantage of the situation, the prices will be monitored permanently.  

Igor Dodon also said that the Foreign Affairs Ministry was in touch with the embassies from abroad and was verifying the situation of the Moldovan citizens from the risk zones. At the same time, the Moldovan president warned about the fact that the people creating panic might be sanctioned under the contravention code or even under the criminal one. Also, the people who infect other healthy persons, after they have learned that they are infected or that they had to be in self-isolation during at least 14 days, can be sanctioned too.  

The participants in the CSS meeting also ruled that the state institutions would periodically report about the actions undertaken as to the new coronavirus.