A Ukrainian National Guard’s Antonov An-26 aircraft has delivered medical items to deal with the coronavirus infection from China to Lviv, a report posted on the Lviv International Airport’s Facebook account says.
“Arrived! Express tests for diagnosing coronavirus, medical facemasks of various level of protection, coverall suits and other articles necessary for countering epidemic spread,” the report says.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 1 million ‘express tests’ for coronavirus (COVID-19) will be supplied to Ukraine on Saturday, March 21.
“What we are lacking and what we have agreed on is ‘express tests’. That is what not only Ukraine, but also any European country needs now. We agreed with China and we are grateful to them. And a special thank you to Jack Ma [the founder of Alibaba Group] for help. He allocated $80 million. Thanks to him and thanks to Mr.Yaroslavksy [the owner of DCH], we are expecting the arrival of these ‘express tests’ to Ukraine on Saturday. They will be sufficient for around one million people,” he said in the Svoboda Slova (Freedom of Speech) program on the ICTV television channel on Monday.
The head of state stressed that all of these test kits will be supplied to hospitals.
He also said that a part of test kits will be delivered directly to the front line for Ukrainian servicemen, who are a category of people that cannot be isolated.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumers’ Rights Protection has temporarily banned the import of domestic and wild animals from China to prevent the entry of coronavirus into Ukraine. “To minimize the risks of introduction of the pathogen Covid-19 into the territory of Ukraine, in accordance with Articles 33 and 96 of the law of Ukraine on veterinary medicine, taking into account the recommendations set out in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, the service temporarily prohibited the import to Ukraine from China of domestic animals (dogs, cats, etc.) and wild carnivores,” the press service of the agency said.
The agency also added that according to official information from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in Hong Kong (China), a SARS-CoV-2 disease of an animal (dog) was recorded.
“The State Service for Food Safety and Consumers’ Rights Protection constantly monitors the situation with animal diseases in the world,” it said.
China expects Ukraine to provide state guarantees for investing $600 million in the construction of a new unit at Sloviansk thermal power plant (TPP, PJSC Donbasenergo), Liu Jun, the adviser for trade and economic issues at the Embassy of China in Ukraine, has said.
“The Chinese side is ready to invest more than $600 million in this project, provided that the Ukrainian side provides state guarantees,” he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Jun recalled that the investment agreement between Dongfang Electric International Corporation (DEIC) and Donbasenergo for the joint implementation of the project was signed in December 2018.
“The construction of the sixth power unit is a new serious potential joint project between Ukraine and China. I am sure that its implementation will bring great benefits for both the Ukrainian people and Chinese enterprises,” he said.
As reported, the contract between DEIC and Donbasenergo provides for the construction of power units Nos. 6A and 6B of 330 MW each at Sloviansk TPP using CFB technology (burning solid fuel in a circulating fluidized bed).
The contract price is $684.296 million. Financing for the reconstruction foresees 70% of funds of a credit from a Chinese bank.
The Boryspil international airport from January 26, 2020 started temperature screening of passengers arriving directly from China, specialists and equipment have been prepared, the Health Ministry of Ukraine has reported. “From January 26, screening of passengers arriving directly from China will begin at the Boryspil airport. The sanitary-quarantine department specialists have already been trained and equipped with infrared thermometers,” the ministry said on its Facebook page on January 25 in the evening.
It is also reported that on Saturday the World Health Organization (WHO) updated screening guidelines at points of entry into countries where the spreading of a new coronavirus has not yet been recorded.
“Previous WHO experience has shown that introducing body temperature screening to identify potential suspected cases of coronavirus required significant investments and was not effective enough. However, during the outbreak of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, most cases of illness at airports were detected precisely because of temperature screening. This method reduces the risk of introducing the coronavirus into the country,” the Health Ministry said.
Also, to minimize the risk of coronavirus infection, WHO recommends routine SARS prevention activities.
As reported, a pneumonia outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan began in December 2019, as a result of a new strain of coronavirus.
JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (Kyiv) and China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), the largest state-owned construction company in China, have signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation. According to the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the memorandum was signed by head of Ukrzaliznytsia Yevhen Kravtsov and member of the board Remigiusz Paszkiewicz from Ukraine and the deputy director general of CRCC from China.
According to the report, the Minister of Infrastructure noted that the signing of the document is an important stage of cooperation for the development of railway connection in the direction of Ukraine-China, attracting Chinese partners to modernize the Ukrainian railways and realize the transit potential of the country on the European Union-China route.
“The fact that the Chinese corporation decided to open a representative office in Ukraine and sign a memorandum of strategic cooperation indicates that the economic situation in the country is changing, the investment climate is improving, the largest foreign technology and manufacturing giants are interested in working in the Ukrainian market,” the minister said.
According to him, the ministry expects to restart and intensify the participation of Ukraine in the project One Belt – One Road, which will make it possible to fully realize the transit potential of the country in the continental cargo turnover.
CHINA, CORPORATION, RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION, REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE
