Additional funds budgeted for comprehensive coronavirus precautions in Mongolia

AKIPRESS.COM - The government of Mongolia held an extended irregular meeting on February 26 and decided to strengthen coronavirus precautions, Monstame reported.
The ministries decided to withdraw additional MNT 6.5 billion from the Government reserve fund to take comprehensive coronavirus precautions. The additional funds will be spent on medicines, medical tools and equipment, personal protective equipment, test kits, disinfectants, sanitizers, as well as the over-time pay and transport allowance of doctors and other health care workers.
It was decided to increase the funding as Mongolia is at very high risk of a coronavirus transmission and high risk of spread of the virus according to a Public Health Emergency Risk Assessment. Moreover, 771,805 people including elders and patients with chronic and other conditions are considered to be more at risk of infection.
So far, no coronavirus case has been confirmed in Mongolia. 216 people who had traveled to the countries affected by the virus, have tested negative for the virus after being quarantined and test results of seven suspected cases are pending.
After hearing about the ongoing and planned precautions, Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh ordered the State Emergency Commission to extend the suspension of traffic movements between Ulaanbaatar and 21 aimags until March 2 and look into and resolve the matter of suspending flights between Mongolia and Japan over coronavirus concerns.