Supreme Commander of Armed Forces involves Moldova's National Army in combating spread of COVID-19

Chisinau, 24 March /MOLDPRES/ - Proceeding from the dynamic of the spread of COVID-19 in the region, as well as in Moldova, the Moldovan leadership is concerned about the identification of new solutions and measures of protecting the residents.

Today, in the capacity of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Igor Dodon took the decision to involve the strength of the Defence Ministry in the management of this crisis. The head of state signed a decree, which allows servicemen to participate in actions carried out to this end, in order to additionally support the government’s efforts to combat the pandemic, the presidential press service has reported.  

Also, the Moldovan president today had a working meeting with the leadership of the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry and secretary of the Supreme Security Council. The sides discussed the way the state’s institutions would coordinate their actions, in order to ensure the implementation of the decisions taken by the authorities to combat the spread of the virus.  

In this respect, the Defence Ministry is to make available, if necessary, its logistic resources, in order to back the medical employees involved in the management of the concerned crisis, either it is about the making available of hospital units, involvement of the military medical staff, transport capacities, put at the authorities’ disposal, as well as other types of support.  

At the same time, the military are to help the Interior Ministry in the implementation of the measures already taken by the authorities to combat the spread of the virus, including to patrol the public places, to ensure the observance of the social distance (implicitly of the self-isolation of elderly people or children) –a vital thing in preventing the spread of the pandemic and in reducing the cases of disease in the categories of vulnerable citizens.    

„Where necessary, servicemen will ensure also the support of elderly people, so that they do not have to leave their homes,’’ the head of state said.  

Igor Dodon added that, depending on the subsequent evolution of the situation, the Moldovan top leadership would decide also other measures meant to cease the spread of the virus.