A cargo plane will depart to China shortly to deliver to Ukraine the next batch of PCR tests and medicines to combat the spread of coronavirus. Production of domestic tests and protective means has also begun. This was announced by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Secretary of the Coordination Council on Combating the Spread of COVID-19 Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
“PCR tests are delivered to Ukraine in batches. The first flight, a military aircraft, delivered 50,000 PCR tests from China. Tomorrow a new board will be loaded to deliver 100,000 tests. Additionally, another 100,000 tests will be delivered from South Korea in two days. Hence, we will have 250,000 PCR tests already. Several more batches are planned from abroad,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko informed.
In addition, according to him, the production of domestic PCR tests, which will arrive at medical institutions in about 10 days, has already begun. Until then, Ukraine has a supply of imported PCR tests.
"That is, in the first phase, we will have about one million tests for the polymerase chain reaction. If, at some point, we realize that the epidemic's dynamics is beginning to slow down and we do not need that many PCR tests, we will stop purchases,” the Deputy Head of the President's Office said.
He noted that all regions of Ukraine have already received the necessary PCR tests and reagents for the research of biomaterial samples.
“According to our information, PCR laboratories should start working in every region today. We have provided them with the necessary testing systems, equipment and reagents. It will allow us to increase the amount of research,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko stressed.
In addition, he recalled that the first flight from China delivered 250,000 rapid tests. They allow you to quickly understand whether it is worthwhile for a person to undergo further testing in the laboratory using the polymerase chain reaction method. Express test kits have already been received by doctors and the State Border Service. To date they are sufficiently provided.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted that another party of medicines from China will be delivered to Ukraine in the next few days.
“We have chartered a cargo aircraft of a Kazakh company that will cost Ukraine cheaper than flying a large military Il-76 aircraft. The aircraft will depart from Astana tonight. It is to land in China on Thursday at noon and begin loading. Now the warehouse in China is loaded for three flights," he explained.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that another flight is to deliver 280,000 respirators, 30,000 hazmat suits, as well as a large number of ordinary three-layer medical masks, which will soon arrive at pharmacies.
“Also, several companies in Ukraine have already set up production of protective medical suits - they will produce at least two thousand suits a day. For our part, we appeal to all manufacturers who can produce medical protective means - masks, suits, gloves - with a request to start this production as soon as possible and to supply them to pharmacies or medical institutions,” the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted.