Coronavirus: Vladimir Putin announces plan to support doctors and the economy

Text by: RFI Follow

The coming weeks will be "crucial" in the fight against the coronavirus, said Wednesday April 8, Vladimir Putin… While the country has registered a thousand new cases in the past 24 hours, the Russian president announced a whole series of financial aid to doctors, businesses and individuals.

Publicity

with our correspondent in Moscow, Daniel Vallot

For the first time since the start of the epidemic, the first words of Vladimir Putin are addressed to doctors. They are the ones on the front line, says the Russian president - we must therefore support them financially with premiums ranging from 300 to 1000 euros at the current ruble price…

“ We are going to introduce this bonus for all those who work directly with patients and who are risking their health at all times. Doctors will receive a premium of 80,000 rubles per month, and medical staff will receive from 25,000 to 50,000 rubles . ”

According to statistics, a doctor earns an average of 80,000 rubles a month in Russia, a nurse 30,000 and a paramedic 50,000, but there are great regional differences.

Vladimir Putin also talks about the battle on the economic front. With new support measures for businesses, as well as workers deprived of jobs and wages.

“ The next few weeks will be decisive, and we will need to mobilize all of our resources. But I stress that for that, we have everything we need: a minimal public debt, solid reserves accumulated in recent years… Finally, we have experience of the crises that we have overcome in the past ”.

Rather behind since the start of the epidemic, Vladimir Putin has obviously decided to put himself forward, and adopts a much more serious and solemn tone. " I understand your weariness and the financial difficulties of each of you," concludes the Russian president, " but now we have no other choice ."

Russia has 8,672 officially registered coronavirus cases, reports AFP, and deplores 63 deaths. The trend has accelerated in recent days, with some 1,000 additional cases on Wednesday.

► Read also : The state of the world facing the pandemic on Wednesday April 8

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