LPR Anti-Epidemic Commission lifts some restrictions as infections rates decrease

The Emergency Sanitary and Anti-Epidemic Commission under the Lugansk People’s Republic government has lifted a number of restrictions due to the decreasing viral infections rates, LPR chief sanitary officer Dmitry Dokashenko said at a press briefing at the Lugansk Media Centre.

“Owing to a significant decrease in infection rates, the Commission is lifting a number of restrictions: the Stanitsa Luganskaya crossing point is relaunching access control starting November 11; also, catering businesses will resume operation on November 13, and sport centres and saunas on November 15,” Dokashenko said.

The Stanitsa Luganskaya crossing point will operate in the normal mode; the requirements for crossing the contact line remain unchanged, he added.

“These requirements are the valid reasons for crossing the border and the number of crossings,” Dokashenko said. Frequent visits above the stated limit require permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; such requests might be considered by a commission.

Catering businesses are permitted to operate on the condition that they observe all the requirements set for this sector. "At this point, they can work till 22:00, in accordance with the decree (by LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik). Under the Anti-Epidemic Commission’s decision, they can operate at 30 percent capacity," the LPR chief sanitary officer said.

The Emergency Sanitary and Anti-Epidemic Commission suspended the operation of catering outlets, canceled sport events and imposed other restrictions in the LPR starting October 13 until further notice.

The World Health Organization called the COVID-19 coronavirus infection a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. The first coronavirus infection cases were recorded in China in late 2019. The number of coronavirus contacts across the world has exceeded 249.7 million by now; of those, over 5 million people died, according to the WHO. The LPR confirmed 19,360 COVID-19 cases.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection, the LPR authorities put the Republic on high alert and introduced lockdown measures. *i*s