The Russian president ordered the end on Tuesday of the nonworking period, in force since the end of March to facilitate the implementation of the containment, giving the signal of a gradual exit and region by region of the restrictions.
“From tomorrow, May 12, the period of unemployment in force throughout the country and in all sectors of the economy ends. But the fight against the epidemic (of the new coronavirus) does not end. The danger remains, "said Vladimir Putin in remarks broadcast on television.
A deconfinement by region
This announcement, while the country has still recorded more than 11,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, does not mean the end of the confinement of all Russians. The city of Moscow in particular, the main epidemic focus, remains confined until at least May 31.
It will therefore be up to each region, on the basis of scientific expertise, to decide which restrictions will be lifted and when. "Our country is large, the epidemiological situations differ (... we cannot operate with the same model everywhere", underlined Vladimir Poutine.
Help for families and businesses
He nevertheless ordered, while the economy, as elsewhere in the world, suffered from containment but also from the fall in oil prices, to reopen businesses. "From May 12, wherever possible, conditions must be created for the resumption of activities in the basic sectors of the economy: construction, industry, agriculture, telecommunications, energy, extraction of raw materials, "he said.
Vladmir Putin also announced a series of financial aid to families and businesses, especially for the latter via tax holidays. Finally, the president estimated that Russia had managed to avoid the worst, thanks to the confinement and the cessation of the activity, decreed with maintenance of remunerations.
"Experience elsewhere in the world has shown that overloaded health systems have been the main cause of high mortality," he said. "But, I repeat, we are ready now," added the Russian president, assuring that the number of hospital beds adapted for Covid-19 patients had increased from 29,000 to 130,000 since March.
Massive screening among Russians
He also insisted on the massive screening policy conducted in Russia, which, according to him, makes it possible to detect asymptomatic and mild cases of coronavirus, allowing rapid treatment of patients and to isolate them. This approach, with 5.6 million tests to date, explains according to the authorities the low mortality in Russia.
The country has officially counted 221,344 contaminations since the start of the crisis, including 11,656 in the past 24 hours. Official mortality remains relatively low, however, with 2,009 victims, even if critics consider it underestimated.
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- Covid 19
- World
- Coronavirus
- Vladimir Poutine
- Russia