Sanitary, quarantine stations set up at Belarusian-Russian border

Sanitary and epidemiological service specialists, traffic police, and transport inspection officials check all the vehicles that come into Belarus. The measure is supposed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus infection.

Aleksei Dyagel, Head Doctor of the Liozno District Hygiene and Epidemiology Center, noted that transit trucks have to pass a registration procedure. Drivers of the transit trucks are supposed to cross Belarus within 24 hours. They are allowed to stop for meals and rest only in designated locations. Administrative penalties are enforced for failures to follow the instructions.

“If a truck driver wants to stay home after a trip, he will have to fill in a questionnaire form and specify his name, the place of residence, and other kinds of information. Upon getting home the driver will have to self-isolate himself for 14 days. The questionnaire form is forwarded to the local hygiene and epidemiology center in the area the driver lives for the sake of observation. Car drivers and passengers have to follow the same procedure,” Aleksei Dyagel said. If a driver or passengers have increased body temperature, the information is forwarded to the healthcare institutions in the area of their place of residence.

In the last few days as many as 120-420 vehicles crossed the border into Belarus near the village of Zaolsha, Liozno District, Vitebsk Oblast every day. Those were primarily semi-trailer trucks. One of the drivers is Igor from Vitebsk. He works for a Russian company now. “I am driving freight to my home city and don't know yet whether the truck will be sent for another delivery run or not. If not, I'll stay home,” the man said. He was surprised he would have to spend two weeks in self-isolation if he decided to stay home.

Specialists of the sanitary and epidemiological service checked over 50 vehicles within about two hours today. All the drivers were understanding about the new border-crossing procedure.