Russian Covid Woes

COVID 19 CRISIS WORSENS IN RUSSIA

The Russian government is taking new measures in Moscow

By Stephen Wilson 

 

 

"It is time to be honest: the government has lost the information campaign to persuade people to get vaccinated in the fight against Coronavirus," declared a well known Russian politician Peter Tolstoy. 

The candid confession acknowledges that previous claims of winning the war against Covid 19,  have been highly misleading. The admission comes just when the number of daily deaths rose above 1000 on the 16th October and infections have risen beyond 30,000. Independent estimates of the number of people who have died from the beginning of the pandemic to the present come to a staggering 900,000 people. This represents a demographic disaster.

 

Faced with such a crisis many people ask the two old traditional questions: "Who is to blame?' and 'What is to do be done?' The Russian government's answer to the first question is that the people themselves are only to blame. Most Russians refuse to get vaccinated despite a massive campaign of publicity. I have been told by some Russians that the vaccination does not work because they knew this person who had the vaccine, but still fell ill or argue it is ineffective. Many remain convinced that the vaccine is worst than the actual illness. Persuading those people to take the vaccine is very hard. 

Some are implacably opposed to taking the vaccine. That is why doctors have a hard job ahead of them. At present only one third of Russians are fully vaccinated. Of course, it would be easy to point to examples of  irresponsible behavior. Just drop into the metro and you can observe 50% of passengers have not covered their faces with the masks. Instead they only cover their faces when they go through the barrier then take them off when they reach the train. When inspectors on the rare occasions stop them, they often answer, "I'm not ill so I don't have to wear a mask". That doesn't wash with inspectors! They still face a fine of 5000 rubles. When I went to put on a mask before entering a shop my friend reproached me with "You don't have to do that. No staff will scold you".

One year ago I would have been told off by an owner of a shop who was afraid they would be fined. About two months ago when I dropped into a supermarket wearing gloves, the cashier told me, "You don't have to wear gloves anymore. This law no longer applies." Actually, very few people were wearing gloves even when this first law was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic. As far as I know, nobody was punished for not wearing gloves. It was only if you did not wear a mask it was deemed a serious violation. By the way, I still wear gloves.

 

But blaming the ordinary people in the streets is very convenient for the state. This answer is too glib. The facts are that the Russian state has constantly relaxed and withdrawn protective measures. A measure which insisted on all customers visiting restaurants show a QR code in the summer was quickly withdrawn. Many open air festivals, parades and performances were allowed to go ahead. Mass scale tourism was promoted at tourist resorts where visitors attended overcrowded beaches. Everything was supposed to be back to normal.

 

The Russian state has sent contradictory messages to the public. Just before the Day of Victory, Russians were told that the war against Covid had been won. The Day of Victory parade was not postponed but given the green light. The government conveyed the misleading opinion that things had returned to normal despite anxious warnings from medical experts. Even political elections were permitted. People who have been told that the war against Covid has been won and that things have returned to normal, I'll reluctant to hear that they have to go back to fighting the war again. In fact, many Russians so deeply distrust the government that they believe the war was really won. It is just that the government has an ulterior motive or agenda they are attempting to push through. So even when the government tells the truth people might no longer believe them.

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And what is to be done? The panacea is 'Get the vaccine' and continue to take basic precautionary measures, mask wearing, washing and social distancing as well as not going out. The problem with obtaining the vaccine is not everyone is entitled to it. It is not free! In order to obtain the vaccine you have to show a compulsory medical insurance card, and a passport. But the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 homeless people in Moscow can't do this because they don't have such documents. So they will remain without the vaccination. 

The government is proposing a Lock-down at work from the 30th of October to the 7th of the November. Workers won't be allowed to go to work. It will be a 'paid vacation' rather than a Lock down. If this measure doesn't have any impact it will be extended perhaps to the 23rd of February next year. People aged over 60 will be asked to stay at home and it looks like shops, cafes and restaurants will be closed down again. In some companies the vaccination is compulsory. For instance, teachers at the Institute of Power and Energy have been told that if they don't obtain both the vaccination against the flu and Covid 19 they will lose their jobs. I was informed that workers at Rosneft were also being told to either take the vaccination or face dismissal. Despite those exceptions, there is no widespread compulsory vaccination program in Russia.

 

One of the biggest problems is that there is no real compensation for those who lose their jobs, homes or income due to the Lock down. Unlike in Germany, there is no real social safety net for anyone who goes out of business because of a lock down. If you don't work, you don't eat. And this is why many Russians continue to violate Lock-down measures. They are in a Catch-22 situation. If they work, they could fall ill and die, but if they don't work they can also lose their jobs and sanity. A move to a full scale Lock down would be highly unpopular and spell disaster for many small businesses as well as workers. What we are more likely to witness is the government taking stronger half measures rather than a complete move to a Lock down in Moscow. Meanwhile the state reassures people that they are not facing a Lock down but are on vacation. It is just a gift!