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Okay, so having previously denied any cases of COVID-19 - despite an spike in "swine flu" hospitalizations - the "health ministry" of the "Donetsk Peoples Republic" says 635 are under observation w/possible symptoms. (thread)
While Russia has kept its border open to residents of the de factos, the "DPR" is reportedly stopping people from going to Russia - including those with Russian passports, but no registered permanent residence there. https://bit.ly/39qBVKm
DPR is reportedly also shutting down traffic with the neighboring "Luhansk People's Republic" - which also claims not to have any COVID-19 cases.
"I'll be totally honest", DPR de facto head Denis Pushilin states. "For a range of reasons, including economic ones, we can't afford to shut down businesses or announce a period of no work, especially as, I repeat, right now we have no one suffering from COVID-19."
Instead, he says, shops and markets will stay open, dining establishments and gyms will work on limited regimen... but only this weekend, after which they'll get back to normal. Entertainment facilities will shut. https://bit.ly/2WPjSLk
Like a lot of the haphazard steps that various governments, and non-governments, have taken during the crisis, these measures sound slightly comical. But a real COVID outbreak in Ukraine's defactos would be very un-funny.
The de factos' demographics are an extreme version of Ukraine's as a whole. Disproportionately elderly population, suffering heavily from non-communicable diseases. In fact, the main reason many are still there is that their health prevented them from leaving.
They have rampant multiple and extra- drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR and XDR TB), made worse by the war. (see https://bit.ly/2QOBkfe ). Anecdotally, an increase in intravenous drug use since the war began (Donetsk was already a hot spot before the war).
Before the war, Donetsk region as a whole - the most populous parts of which are now under DPR control - had 20% of Ukraine's HIV patients.
Today, as one health worker put it, "all our work of the past 15 years has gone out the window." Safe sex, risks of drug use = taboo topics, making prevention beyond hard.
Bottom line: reports that the so-called Republics have no cases of COVID-19 are almost certainly false. But it would be a whole lot better if they were true.
