Putin to Lift Coronavirus Restrictions in Russia Cautiously

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, held a video conference Wednesday (May 6) with his colleagues to revive the Russian economy damaged by the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The agenda also included proposals on the stage-by-stage lifting of anti-epidemic restrictions imposed to counter the novel coronavirus infection.

Putin directed all regional governors to draft their own action plans for the period after May 11, based on the virus situation in different regions.

Assuming that the data released by the authorities is correct, as of May 7, Russia had over 166,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with only 1,500 deaths. The number of infections is increasing at the rate of 10,000 per day.

“Of course, life is much more complicated than any pattern or plan. Nevertheless, it is important to have a justified algorithm of actions for every region with due account for expert opinion,” Putin said during the virtual meeting.

In Russia, the spread of coronavirus varies region by region. Therefore, Putin suggested that some regions need to maintain and even step up tough, justified prevention measures, whereas other regions may plan a reasonable loosening of restrictions.

“Such decisions must be made with consideration for the opinion of researchers and experts and taking into account all factors and potential risks,” he suggested.

“Any negligence or haste can lead to a breakdown or a backlash. The cost of even a minor mistake is the safety, life and health of our people. This is why our colleagues from the Government and the regional governors bear extremely high responsibility for each adopted decision. We can never forget this,” Putin added in his advice.