All Makhachkala educational institutions stopped for quarantine

Today, by the decision of the chief sanitary physician for the Republic of Dagestan, all higher and secondary schools, and kindergartens of Makhachkala are closed for quarantine because of flu epidemic.

Last week, the Dagestan department of "Rospotrebnadzor" (Federal Agency for Consumer Supervision) already introduced quarantine in certain groups and classes of Dagestan capital. Access of visitors was banned to in-patient medical establishments and to children's homes and boarding schools.

Last week, the situation with flu morbidity in Makhachkala worsened. According to Eleonora Omarieva, chief sanitary physician for the Republic of Dagestan, 4945 flu and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) cases were registered from November 30 to December 6, 2009, making the rate of 89.67 cases per 10,000 of population.

She said that this morbidity level is by 109.5 percent over the epidemic threshold and by 54.3 percent above the level in the period of November 23-29.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the local "Rospotrebnadzor" department that the end of the quarantine is not known.

In spite of the obligation for all attendants in shops and offices of Makhachkala to wear masks, it is impossible to buy them in the city drugstores.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has visited 10 drugstores, and masks were nowhere on sale. At one drugstore only, they were selling 5 masks to a buyer, and the cost for one doubled - from five to ten roubles.