Vladimir Putin extends holiday till late April: highlights of president’s address
The president has announced a non-working month but stressed we should save jobs
Vladimir Putin’s second address to the Russians in the last 8 days was on 2 April. The first time the president addressed the nation on 25 March and announced the week from 28 March to 5 April non-working for everybody who didn’t work in enterprises with non-stop production and life support organisations. Read in Realnoe Vremya’s report a brief rendering of the president’s statement.
“The non-working week allowed Russia to gain time”
The week that was announced non-working in Russia was coming to an end, doctors kept working in a tense regime, the president stated:
“It is being tough for them now. They are protecting us from the attacking epidemic, treating, saving people, preventing the disease from spreading.”
Putin expressed his “sincere words of gratitude” to medical workers. He also thanked the rest of Russians: volunteers, all people who aren’t indifferent, everyone “who felt and realised their personal responsibility, strictly follows the recommendations, cares about oneself, relatives and people around”.
The president stated that the non-working week allowed Russia to gain time to increase resources and fight the epidemic as effectively as possible by using both its own experience and practice of other countries. At the moment we are managing to fence the elderly off the epidemic, avoid outbreaks in kindergartens, universities and schools. Of course, the question now is what to do next.
But the president stressed that virologists consider the peak of the epidemic hadn’t been passed in the world and in our country.
Extension of regime of non-working days
The president announced his decision: the regime of non-working days was extended until 30 April with pay.
The situation is changing, Putin stressed. Russia is a huge country, and the situation in different regions is different. The virus has already created a serious threat to people somewhere, for instance, in Moscow, and at the moment it hasn’t been possible to change the situation. But some regions still don’t have a case of the disease. This is why local, targeted decisions will be enough if the high state of alerts remains. In this respect, by the president’s decree, the Federation’s regions are given additional power.
Every region must decide on what measures to take till the end of the week based on the real situation — depending on objective conditions on the spot. The regions may decide themselves, what institutions and organisations must cease their operation and what institutions can continue working.
Like before, bodies of authorities, health care establishments, pharmacies, grocery stores and shops with essentials. If there is the necessity of additionally limiting the operation of core enterprises, the regions will have to agree on this with the federal centre.
“The regime of non-working days can be reduced in the future”
Putin tasked authorised representatives to closely control the regions’ work. The information must go to the anti-virus headquarters, it must be processed there and considered for further decision-making. The president noted that if circumstances permit, the regime of non-working days can be reduced in the future.
Putin stressed that it was crucial to save jobs because an effective, steadily functioning economy was the foundation for key tasks. Putin asked the citizens to carefully follow the authorities’ requirements and specialists’ recommendations. Responsibility and mutual support are decisive factors. Last week showed that understanding of the situation helped to reduce risks.
The president expressed confidence that we will manage to be ahead further as well. He thanked the Russians and wished them health.