In Russia, despite the resurgence of the epidemic, the restrictions remain very light and hardly impact daily life. A formula which, for the moment, works in the very rich capital, Moscow, but which is undoubtedly responsible for the virulence of the second wave.
Despite the cold and the snow, the streets are full in downtown Moscow. With its Christmas decorations, bustling shopping malls and open-air ice rinks, the Russian capital has an air of normality. Here, life takes its course as if the coronavirus did not exist, or almost. A few details, here and there, betray the pandemic: the dispensers of hydroalcoholic gel at the entrance to stores, and every few meters in metro stations. Advertising for overseas travel, on the streets, which has given way to social distancing instructions. Wearing a mask, compulsory in public transport and shops, is almost universally respected.
Despite a particularly brutal second wave, which saw Russia move to fourth in the world in terms of the number of cases (nearly three million as of December 23) and the number of new daily patients (more than 27,000), even then that the Russian state is accused of lowering its statistics, it has chosen flexibility.
No re-containment, but a series of less restrictive measures, aimed at restricting the spread of the virus without (too much) hampering daily life. Theaters, stadiums and cinemas are allowed to open with a checkerboard placement. People over 65 are under house arrest and a “semi-curfew” closes all cultural establishments, as well as bars, cafes and restaurants after 11 pm. “The night closures, the limited places in the theater and the cinema, the closed exhibitions, it is obviously embarrassing”, testifies Youlia, 31, employed in the sector of the culture. “But on the other hand, we’ve seen the whole service and entertainment economy migrate to the internet, and it’s very exciting. I’ve made discoveries online that I would never have made otherwise!”
No re-containment
“I would say that an adult who works in Moscow is only slightly affected by these measures,” confirms Evguenia, 36 years old. “For parents, the school system has become really well digital and allows online and distance education.”
Paradoxically, the Russian capital, despite the lightness of these measures, is doing relatively well in terms of health. Panic scenes in hospitals overwhelmed by the influx of patients, common last spring, have not reappeared. The credit goes to a quality medical infrastructure, considerably strengthened since the first wave, and which is coupled, in this city much richer than the rest of Russia, by a very efficient network of private clinics. In the rest of the country, large cities, and especially the countryside, in full escheat, the virus is wreaking havoc, and the absence of restrictions comes at a high price.
Assuming that the government resolves to it, a second national confinement seems however improbable, so much the Russian population is resistant to the idea of a hardening of the measures. Those adopted last spring, articulated around “days of leave” left to the load of the employers, had caused a strong dissatisfaction. “It’s not possible to lock everyone up without any social and economic responsibility,” says Youlia, “and then give companies crumbs and let them fend for themselves. The existing measures seem to be working. go in the right direction: vaccination, gel dispensers, encouragement of teleworking… for me, this is more acceptable than completely totalitarian draconian measures. “
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