Starting October 30, Russia will be going into a non-working week to control the rapid spread of COVID-19 infections in the country. President Vladimir Putin has backed the Russian Cabinet’s proposal of keeping workers away from offices.
Four of the seven days in the week post October 30 are already state holidays. In regions where the situation is grave, non-working days will begin from Saturday.
The move is in line with the Government’s push to protect the life and health of the Russian citizens and minimise the consequences of the spread of infection. With this, the Government aims to slow the pace of the contagion while also mobilising additional resources required in the health care system.
The Government’s coronavirus task force has said that the non-working week should also imply additional limitations to access of public places, including restaurants, movie halls and other entertainment venues, which continue to operate at full capacity. The local authorities in each region will be expected to impose restrictions.
Further, the Russian Cabinet has worked out measures to appropriately compensate businesses that will get affected by the move. One-time payments equivalent to a minimum monthly pay per worker and low interest credits will also be included in the Government’s compensation plans.
The country is witnessing an upsurge in the number of deaths reported by the virus over the past few weeks. The mortality numbers exceeded 1,000 this week. The increase in infection is being attributed to sluggish vaccination rates, lax public attitudes toward taking precautions and the Government’s reluctance to toughen restrictions.
