The Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov awarded medical personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who had been helping their Italian colleagues in the fight against the coronavirus for three weeks.

The Minister stressed that the experience gained by doctors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health cannot be overestimated.

"It is a great honor for me to express gratitude and present the awards. Ukraine has gained not only the respect of Italians but a tremendous experience as well. And it is impossible to overestimate the fact that, despite the potential threats, you decided on this working trip," Arsen Avakov said.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs stressed the positive dynamics in the fight against coronavirus is observed and an important role is played by local authorities in this process.

"Ukraine is among those countries of Europe demonstrating the best dynamics and it is critical to maintain that. I believe that decisions to lift quarantine restrictions should be made taking into account the development of epidemics in each region of the country. May 11 is another test, the beginning of the relaxing of quarantine restrictions, but it is necessary to think through every step to ensure safety measures are in place. Therefore, each of you must pass on the experience gained to your colleagues in your workplaces," Arsen Avakov stressed.

As was reported earlier, Ukraine has provided Italy with humanitarian aid to combat the coronavirus infection.

As a reminder, on April 4, 20 physicians within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health flew to help Italian doctors. They were sent to the Marche province characterized by a large number of patients and deaths from coronavirus. The Ukrainian team consisted of two groups of 10 people and were working in Pesaro and Urbino province.

On April 23, all the doctors returned to Ukraine and underwent a mandatory two-week observation.