MINSK, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - The number of people infected with A/H1N1 virus in Belarus has risen to 59, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

"Laboratory tests have confirmed that 59 people have been infected with A/H1N1," ministry spokeswoman Olga Shulpina said, adding that the ex-Soviet republic was not hit by a swine flu epidemic so far.

The Belarusian Health Ministry reported just 39 swine flu cases on Friday.

Meanwhile, a swine flu epidemic was declared in neighboring Ukraine where 39 people have died of the virus, the country's Health Ministry said on Sunday. It put the number of infections at more than 150,000.

The Ukrainian government has already ordered to shut down schools and cinemas in the country in an effort to stop the spread of the epidemic and has channeled $12.5 million into the purchase of anti-swine flu medicines and medial equipment.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that Slovakia, Hungary and Romania were providing humanitarian assistance to help Ukraine deal with the H1N1 virus, the UNIAN news agency reported.

Slovakia and Romania will send medical masks, while Hungary will contribute 10,000 doses of vaccine for the virus.

Russia and Poland have already offered to help Ukraine's efforts to prevent the spread of swine flu.