Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the nationwide ‘vacation period’ until May 11, and said the government plans to slowly reopen the economy after that, The Moscow Times reports.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause havoc in the country, with 6,411 confirmed new coronavirus infections Tuesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 93,558 and marking a new one-day record increase. Russia is now the eighth most-affected country in terms of infections, having surpassed China and Iran this week.
“The daily number of new cases of the disease has relatively stabilized. But this should not ‘soothe’ us since the situation remains very tense. Specialists and scientists say that the peak has not passed yet,” the Russian president stressed in a video speech.
The risks of catching the infection of the novel coronavirus in Russia are ‘reaching their climax,’ he elaborated. “We are now probably faced with the most rigorous stage of the fight against this epidemiology,” Putin went on. “Risks of catching the infection are reaching their climax. The danger and the lethal threat of the virus persist and it goes for everyone.”
“The most important issue that I would like to point out summing up the results of the recent weeks is that we have managed to slow down the spread of the epidemic,” Putin said. “This is the result of our common work, the responsibility of millions of citizens of our country, who have followed recommendations of doctors and experts, taking care of their own health and of the health of others.”
“I instruct the government and the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare to prepare recommendations in tandem with the working group of the State Council, that is, criteria and parameters for the step-by-step lifting of the restrictive measures starting May 12. This must be done within a week, that is, by May 5,” Putin stated.
