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Here’s Russia’s plan for facing the coronavirus crisis and preventing new infections, point by point
Source: Meduza
On March 16, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced his cabinet’s plans for battling the global pandemic of COVID-19. The proposal is scheduled to be revealed in full on March 18, but media sources like Vedomosti and Kommersant have already uncovered a number of the measures it contains. The federal executive branch has now confirmed some of those steps, particularly those related to business and the economy.
The cabinet’s proposals so far
- Allocate 300 billion rubles ($4.06 billion as of March 16) to support Russian citizens and the Russian economy;
- Compensate quarantined citizens for lost income using employer records or doctors’ notes;
- Set aside funds in the federal budget for unemployment payments;
- Pay pensions and other benefits in advance;
- Limit or ban events with more than 1,000 attendees throughout Russia, including international athletic events;
- Extend school vacations or make school attendance voluntary;
- Allow delivery options for over-the-counter medicines purchased online;
- Create a prize fund for standout doctors fighting the virus;
- Provide for increased coronavirus test production;
- Create an online alert system for coronavirus updates;
- Guarantee personal protection funds for individuals;
- Cancel duties on imported medications and medical supplies;
- Establish a ‘tax holiday’ for businesses, including tour agencies and airlines;
- Give small and mid-sized businesses a one-quarter extension on paying their taxes;
- Temporarily halt audits of small and mid-sized businesses;
- Give state corporations an extension on paying out dividends;
- Add the coronavirus to the list of acceptable force majeure circumstances on government contracts;
- Allocate government credits to regions that meet their economic development goals;
- Cancel limits on transportation for chain markets in Russian cities;
- Guarantee systemically vital companies credit for their current work and any recursive tasks.
More on Russia’s unique circumstances
- Putin reportedly plans to address the nation and postpone Russia’s constitutional plebiscite, though the Kremlin currently denies it
- Why are there so few reported COVID-19 cases in Russia?
- Lining up for coronavirus kisses The Russian Orthodox Church isn’t shutting its doors or using clean spoons, despite a global pandemic
Text by Alexander Baklanov
Translation by Hilah Kohen