What is this decree?
The chief sanitary doctor of Moscow, Elena Andreeva, has obliged the capital's employers to ensure the vaccination of certain categories of citizens from among the working Muscovites.
By "separate categories" of citizens, we mean mainly service workers.
The relevant decree indicates that these measures are due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation with COVID-19 in the capital.
“Heads of organizations, individual entrepreneurs operating in the city of Moscow, in (separate. - RT) areas ... by 15.07.2021, organize preventive vaccinations with the first component or a single-component vaccine, and by 15.08.2021 - with the second component of the vaccine against the new coronavirus infection, which has passed the state registration in the Russian Federation, is not less than 60% of the total number of employees, employees, ”the document says.
The decree aimed at implementing this decree has already been signed by the mayor of the city, Sergei Sobyanin.
The Main Control Department of Moscow will monitor the compliance of employers with the new requirements.
Following the capital, mandatory vaccination of service workers was also introduced in the Moscow and Kemerovo regions.
Why is this needed?
According to the vice-mayor of the capital, Anastasia Rakova, over the past week, the number of detected cases of coronavirus in Moscow has increased by 80%, and in two weeks it has doubled.
The number of hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19 increased by more than 70%.
“The situation with the coronavirus continues to evolve dramatically.
More than 12 thousand people of varying severity are in hospitals.
In terms of morbidity, we are already at the level of last year's peaks, ”Sobyanin stated in a blog post on his official website.
The other day, the head physician of GKB 40 (hospital in Kommunarka) Denis Protsenko said that most of the patients with COVID-19 who are now in Moscow hospitals have not been vaccinated.
In an interview with Anton Krasovsky on the Antonyms YouTube channel, he supported the idea of compulsory vaccination.
“This is the only way out of the current situation with a pandemic,” the chief physician of Kommunarka is convinced.
In the decree of the chief sanitary doctor of Moscow on compulsory vaccination, it is indicated that now most of the sick are working people who actively use public transport and visit crowded places: shopping centers, entertainment and cultural institutions, bars and restaurants.
It is the working population that provides the main increase in diseases.
"When analyzing the incidence rate, it was found that people of working age from 18 to 60 years old are more likely to get sick, the proportion of which is 60% ... According to the social status of the sick: working population - 73%, children - 13%, pensioners - 14%" , - the document says.
Who does the decree apply to?
In accordance with the decree of the chief sanitary doctor of Moscow and the decree of the government of the capital, mandatory vaccination of employees must be provided to employers in the following areas:
- trade;
- beauty salons, cosmetic, spa salons, massage parlors, solariums, baths, saunas, fitness centers, fitness clubs, swimming pools;
- household services, including laundries, dry cleaning and other similar services;
- public catering;
- client departments of financial organizations, organizations providing postal services;
- MFC;
- public transport, taxis;
- education, health care, social protection and social services;
- housing and communal services and energy;
- cultural, exhibition, educational events;
- leisure, entertainment, entertainment events;
- children's playrooms, children's entertainment centers, children's day camps, other venues for similar events for minors;
- theaters, cinemas, concert halls;
- mass physical culture, sports events.
A complete list of areas whose employees are subject to mandatory vaccination can be found here.
How will it work?
In an interview with RT, State Duma deputy and epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko stressed that vaccination of working Muscovites will continue to be carried out voluntarily, and the decision of the Moscow government will affect only 60% of workers in the spheres related to the provision of services to the population.
He added that for employees who have contraindications for vaccination, decisions should be made individually.
“Contraindications are stipulated, and in each individual case this issue is resolved,” Onishchenko points out.
In turn, lawyer Valeria Arshinova assessed the legitimacy of the new decree on vaccination, recalling that vaccination against coronavirus is included in the vaccination calendar for medical reasons: “Accordingly, within the framework of the law, the chief sanitary doctor has the right to issue a decree on compulsory vaccination.
Both employees and employers must fulfill it. "
According to the lawyer, if workers in these areas refuse to vaccinate, the employer will have the right to remove them from work without paying wages.
At the same time, Arshinova noted that it is still impossible to force a person to vaccinate.
“Of course, everyone has the right to refuse - we are not slaves.
But now there is a law No. 157 on immunization, and in accordance with it, the employer dismisses the employee who refused, without paying a salary, ”the lawyer states.
Also on russian.rt.com Kucherena commented on the decision on the mandatory vaccination of certain groups of citizens in Moscow
What employers think in the field of fitness
RT talked with representatives of Moscow companies working in the service sector - most employers have already expressed their readiness to comply with the decree of the Moscow government, emphasizing that the health of their clients is an absolute priority for them.
Olga Chinyonova, PR director of the X-fit fitness club chain, considers the decision of Rospotrebnadzor to be logical in the current conditions.
“Now about 50% of our employees have already been vaccinated through our network.
In our opinion, we will not have any difficulties with the implementation of this decree, since healthy lifestyle workers understand how important it is to take care of their own health and the health of the people with whom they work on a daily basis.
Therefore, additional measures to motivate employees for the execution of the decree of the Moscow government, most likely, will not be required, ”Chinyonova said.
“As for employees with antibodies, now, as we know, new strains of coronavirus are emerging, so vaccination makes sense even for those who have antibodies,” a company spokesperson added.
Natalya Boyarkina, HR Director of the World Class fitness club chain, notes that measures are now being negotiated to further motivate employees to get vaccinated.
“Now, after the decree of the Moscow government, we have already agreed with the clinic, which will offer our employees a choice of all three Russian vaccines. In addition, we invited a virologist who will explain the differences between vaccines, she said. - We have also agreed on additional incentives for our employees in connection with the decree on compulsory vaccination. And we will already know 100% who supplied the vaccine. For the company, these will be additional costs, but we are ready to go for them in order to be confident and protected. "
“As for employees with antibodies and contraindications, we will most likely follow this path: if there is a certificate of antibodies, then plus or minus six months we will keep such employees under control and after this time we will again raise the issue of vaccination.
Regarding employees who have contraindications, we, unfortunately, cannot do this - and the decree says that (they are not subject to mandatory vaccination -
RT
) all 100% of employees, ”adds Boyarkina.
Comments from representatives of retail chains and restaurants
As RT was told in the press service of the Azbuka Vkusa supermarket chain, many of the company's employees have already been vaccinated or are planning to be vaccinated in the near future.
“In total, in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, we employ about 13 thousand people ... There will be organizational difficulties, because not all people share the state's desire for complete preventive vaccination, there are many prejudices and fears in this regard ...
Therefore, an intensified explanatory campaign and information support, social advertising at the city level and at the federal level are very necessary, ”the press service emphasized.
In turn, a representative of McDonald's fast food restaurants told RT that the company is interacting with the Russian authorities: "The safety and well-being of employees is a priority for us, we are working closely with government authorities to jointly reduce the risks of the spread of coronavirus infection."
Fyodor Ovchinnikov, founder and chairman of the board of Dodo Brands (a chain of Dodo-pizza restaurants), says that the business community was warned in advance about the introduction of mandatory vaccinations.
“We learned about the plans of compulsory vaccination in advance - yesterday there was an informal meeting with the city administration, where this decision was discussed with business.
Although the authorities announced the need to vaccinate 60% of employees, we set an internal goal to vaccinate everyone.
We aim at 100% and base our decisions on this, ”Ovchinnikov said.
“The task of the authorities is to provide a vaccine, vaccination points, a system for checking vaccination. Our task is to organize employees. One of the biggest challenges we face is employee distrust of the vaccine. The importance and necessity of vaccination will need to be explained. But there are no alternatives. The decision has been made and it will be implemented. Mass vaccination is the only way to get back to normal life, ”he stressed.