Kazakhstan readies for possible second wave of coronavirus – Health Minister

While speaking at a press conference at the Central Communications Service, Minister Tsoi said growing number of new COVID-19 cases in Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey, and the Republic of Korea is disturbing. «Of course, Kazakhstan as all other countries is getting ready for a possible second wave of the coronavirus infection,» he noted.

In his words, Kazakhstan is planning to step up the bed capacity of local hospitals up to 71,126 beds for coronavirus patients. Currently, there are 10,257 beds.

«15% of beds are already occupied by the coronavirus patients or the ones with the coronavirus-like pneumonia,» Tsoi added.

According to him, Kazakhstan has already planned the construction of up to 13 module infectious hospitals. Two large hospitals are being reconstructed. Outpatient clinics have in place 3,640 mobile medical teams. Kazakhstani hospitals are to be provided with 5,098 lung ventilators during the next epidemiological season.

Minister Tsoi also said that majority of schoolchildren in Kazakhstan will stick to remote learning in the first quarter of this academic year. This, in his words, is purely to avoid the risks of the possible second wave of the coronavirus infection. He revealed almost 2,500 children had been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection in the country since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Of these, 98% children have successfully recovered.