‘It could get complicated’: Russia will have 10 vacations in May due to coronavirus pandemic

MOSCOW (AFP) .- The Russian President, Vladimir Poutine, today supported a proposal by the Russian health agency to decree ten days off in May, with the end of halt the advance of the coronavirus pandemic, given the warning that “the situation could get complicated.”

“If they deem it necessary, I will sign the decree today” to impose this holiday, he said in a televised meeting, in response to a question from the head of the Russian health agency, who believed that such a measure would stabilize the case.

The idea is to convert the days between two public holidays, more precisely the days from May 3 to 8, into non-working days. Since 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 are already vacations, the result would be that Russians would not be required to work from May 1-10.

According to the director of the Russian health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, the pandemic is receding in Russia but the rate of reduction of cases and deaths has not been so rapid in recent weeks, when inoculating with national vaccines, such as Sputnik V, does not finish taking off. In his annual address to the nation, Putin said he was aiming for collective immunity in Russia by the fall.

“We are stranded and in some areas … there is a trend which shows that the situation could get complicated,” he said.

According to the official, these ten days off would limit travel in public transport and the circulation of the virus would be reduced.

The mortality figures for Covid-19 in Russia diverge according to the sources and arouse skepticism in society: The government said on Friday there were more than 107,000 deaths from the coronavirus, but statistical agency Rosstat admitted there were 224,000 in February.

THE NATION