COVID rises as Russians refuse vaccine, lie about getting it



[ad_1]

Moscow – Russia fights a deadly third wave of coronavirus infections. For days, the country has reported a record number of daily deaths and hospitalizations are skyrocketing thanks in part to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Russia reported 25,293 new infections on Thursday and set a new daily death record with 791 confirmed deaths. Overall, Russia has officially identified more than 5.8 million COVID-19[female[feminine cases since the start of the pandemic.

But despite an official ban on mass gatherings and other restrictions, many Russians ignore or cheat on the rules. Videos showed young people enjoying big parties.

A fan zone set up for people to watch the Euro 2020 football game in St. Petersburg has led to a massive increase in cases in neighboring Finland after fans return home.

The voluntary deployment of the vaccine in Russia has been extremely slow and authorities are now forcing some workers to be vaccinated.

“We see that the campaign is gaining momentum and here last week we have three times as many people vaccinated as before,” Natalya Kuzenkova, chief medical officer of Clinic No.68 in Moscow, told CBS News. .

People are getting the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, which has been widely available since December, but only 15% of Russians have received at least a first dose so far.

Authorities blamed everything from Russian nihilism to the sense of freedom that developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, for the shortcomings of the vaccine rollout. But surveys by independent pollsters show that mistrust of the government, and its vaccine approval process in particular, has grown to such an extent that a majority of Russians still say they don’t want to be vaccinated. .

“Why would I get vaccinated? A man with fairly typical opinions told CBS News. “I’m a healthy man and have never been sick so I don’t need it… If I get sick then I get sick what’s the difference? It’s my personal choice.”

This reluctance, along with the government’s decision to make vaccination compulsory for many people, has led to a booming black market for people. fake vaccination certificates.

A man detained by authorities for selling fake certificates said he had been delivering them since April. He made hundreds of them in a small office that was raided as part of an undercover operation by law enforcement officials, who launched a nationwide crackdown.

For around $ 100, authorities claim criminals will ensure that vials with vaccine doses allocated to a client are simply paid, while they are given false certificates and added to the official register of vaccinated citizens, allowing them to access workplaces and restaurants.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s own inoculation has been shrouded in secrecy, but he recently claimed that he had received the Sputnik V vaccine produced in Russia, and he begged other Russians to do the same.

“The only way to prevent the spread of the epidemic is through vaccination,” Putin said recently. “I hope that the prejudices among some of our citizens will dissipate as the vaccination continues.”

If the government manages to convince more Russians to get vaccinated, the next problem the country faces could be a widespread shortage of supplies.

Moscow last week ran out of doses of two of the three approved vaccines, and several other parts of the country also reported shortages.

Preview: The Kevin Harris Ambush

Rising prices for cars and gasoline leading to inflation

Britney Spears Keeps Pushing To End Her Father’s Guardianship

[ad_2]

Source link