The next academic year of Belarus' Armed Forces has been declared a year of combat readiness, BelTA learned from Belarusian Defense Minister, Major-General Viktor Khrenin on 29 October.

Vitebsk Oblast Library hosted a meeting of the heads and specialists of the departments of ideological work, culture and youth affairs, heads of cultural institutions of the oblast with the assistant to the President of Belarus - inspector for Vitebsk Oblast Anatoly Linevich and the head of the culture department of  Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Pyotr Podgursky.

On 1 November 2020 Belarus will reduce export duties on oil and petroleum products exported outside the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The decision was formalized by the Council of Ministers' Resolution No.612 of 27 October 2020, BelTA has learned.

In medical institutions of Vitebsk Oblast, 1.4 thousand beds are provided for patients with pneumonia and COVID-19. This was announced before a meeting of the oblast headquarters to counter the spread of COVID-19 by the head of the main health department of the oblast executive committee, Mikhail Vishnevetsky.

In January-September 2020, Bellegprom's garment and knitwear companies increased net profits and sales margins, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian light industry concern Bellegprom.

Today, any elderly resident of the oblast who cannot singly go to the pharmacy for medicine or to the grocery store can count on urgent help from social services, especially during an unfavorable epidemiological situation.

Expositions of Belarusian food and beverage manufacturers Belarus. The Taste of Nature will be on display at major food exhibitions in Turkey and the UAE - CNR Food Istanbul, and Gulfood in Dubai, BelTA learned from the Belinterexpo of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vitebsk Oblast Hospital has again joined in the fight against COVID-19, but at the same time continues to provide specialized assistance.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo had a telephone conversation on 24 October. The phone call was initiated by the U.S. side and lasted for about half an hour. The details of the conversation were revealed by the press service of the Belarusian leader.