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Quarantine imposed at schools, hospitals in Vitsyebsk region’s cities

A quarantine has been imposed at schools and hospitals in major cities of the Vitsyebsk region, Vitsyebsk, Orsha, Polatsk and Navapolatsk, to prevent the spread of acute respiratory diseases.

Against the background of high swine flu fears in Minsk, there are few passers-by in Vitsyebsk who wear face masks. Only pharmacy and store assistants use the masks.

Most pharmacies in the city have sold out not only antiviral drugs but also ascorbic acid. Pharmacists promise that shelves would soon be restocked.

Iryna Druzhynina, deputy director general of the Vitsyebsk branch of the state-owned Farmatsyya drug company that runs a network of pharmacies, said that the sale of face masks had grown tenfold, but the scramble was “artificial.”

She stressed that people could make masks themselves, adding that the working hours of state-run pharmacies in Vitsyebsk had been extended until 11 p.m. //BelaPAN