[ad_1]
LONDON – Russia has nearly 250,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, the second highest number in the world after the United States.
But its total death toll of just over 2,300 remains very low compared to other major European nations and a mere fraction of the death toll in the United States. But Russia’s infection rates are ominous, with an average of 10,000 new cases registered each day.
The pandemic could not have come at a worse time, just as Russia is recovering from the combined effects of low oil prices and the global economic recession.
The Russian government was slow to respond to the health crisis; Until early March, authorities in Moscow still seemed confident that their country would not be seriously affected.
They also had a political interest in minimizing the health challenge. A national referendum on constitutional amendments designed to allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in office for many years was scheduled on April 22.
In addition, Putin also hoped to welcome world leaders like China’s Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron to a luxurious military parade planned for Moscow on May 9 to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
Ultimately, both events had to be postponed, and despite Putin’s evident reluctance, rising rates of coronavirus infection finally forced the Russian leader to order a complete shutdown of economic activity.
Earlier this week, Putin announced the end of what he cautiously called the “non-working day” period, and ordinary Russians are beginning to leave their homes and return to work.
But Moscow, the epicenter of the pandemic and the city that accounts for more than half of all Russian coronavirus cases, will remain blocked until the end of the month.
And the damage the pandemic has inflicted on Russia will surely last longer.
Unsurprisingly, its underfunded and forced to cope with an aging and impoverished population has received a fair amount of criticism for its medical services.
Russia has performed relatively well in the number of coronavirus tests it performs in the general population; By that single indicator it is doing better than many wealthier European nations.
But its hospital facilities are proving inadequate, as well as suffering from poor security records: On Tuesday, Russian firefighters struggled to put out a fire in an intensive care unit in St. Petersburg, the country’s second largest city, in which five were killed. patients with coronavirus. .
Furthermore, in a country with a long tradition of “doctorate” statistics, few ordinary Russians believe that Mr. Putin claims that the pandemic is “under control.”
Although the last month’s population statistics won’t be available until June, preliminary figures point to a 50 to 70 percent increase in the number of deaths recorded in the Russian capital, compared to averages for the past five years.
It is reasonable to assume that at least some of these may be due to unreported cases of coronavirus-related complications.
And the economic ravages will be even more severe as the pandemic coincides with a severe recession in the country’s finances due to the collapse in the price of oil, which accounts for about 40 percent of Russia’s budget revenue.
The International Monetary Fund expects Russia’s gross domestic product to decrease by 5.5 percent this year, and this could be an optimistic assessment. Meanwhile, unemployment could top eight million, admits Alexei Kudrin, Russia’s chief auditor. That would be a fourfold increase in current levels.
Putin claims to be “working every day to take steps to minimize the negative impact” of the pandemic. The state-controlled media show him holding frequent video conferences with government officials across the country.
Still, Putin’s popularity ratings are falling to their lowest level since the president came to power two decades ago. In a survey, only a quarter of respondents claimed to have faith in their ability to solve the crisis.
With adequate foreign exchange reserves, Russia has the powers to overcome the pandemic. Kudrin is aware that he urged Putin to spend up to half of the reserves to alleviate economic problems.
Still, Putin is in an unenviable position of having to deal with challenges over which he has no control.
And those who often challenge comprehensive solutions.
[ad_2]
