The authorities of St. Petersburg are preparing for the rise of covid incidence in the city

In St. Petersburg, an increase in the incidence of covid is expected against the background of the emergence of the omicron strain, the situation remains difficult, they said at a meeting of the city coordinating council to counter the pandemic.

According to the press service of the city governor’s administration, measures to mobilize healthcare in the context of the spread of “omicron” were discussed. It is indicated that after the New Year holidays and the return of citizens from trips, an increase in the incidence is recorded, including those associated with the spread of the omicron strain. Today, more than 25 thousand new cases have been recorded in the city, of which about 4.5 thousand are in hospitals.

The Council considered the issues of organizing the work of the healthcare system in the face of an increase in the incidence. Now patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia are being treated by 15 city and three federal hospitals, 8,000 “covid” beds have been deployed. If necessary (taking into account the reserve), more than 11 thousand beds can be deployed. More than 2.5 thousand beds are free now – 32.2%. During the pandemic, 4 new transforming hospitals with 1.4 thousand beds were opened in the city.

Computed tomography continues to be performed by 8 CT centers in polyclinics, which fully cover the needs of the city. Over the entire period of the pandemic, more than 374 thousand studies have been conducted. PCR diagnostics is carried out by 61 laboratories with a total capacity of more than 78 thousand tests per day.

According to the governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, the city has enough capacity to control the epidemiological situation, but it is necessary to take into account the cyclical increase in the incidence.

In turn, the head of the interdepartmental medical working group, Yevgeny Shlyakhto, pointed out that, given the possible rise in the incidence, it is necessary to strengthen the work of the outpatient service and the ambulance service. The personnel reserve can be formed at the expense of students in medical and related specialties.

You also need to be prepared to increase testing and conduct CT scans and create additional ambulance teams, Beglov noted. And he added: it is necessary to continue the campaign for vaccination and revaccination. “In connection with the onset of the omicron strain, all forces must be mobilized,” he concluded.