NEW DELHI: 7 years in jail for breaking coronavirus quarantine rules, a Ruble 500,000($1=Rub74. 1Rub=Rs 1.03) fine for business not following a lockdown. Azmat Metov takes us through a day in the life of a citizen in this chat with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P.Revi.
106 people have died in Russia with 1,667 new cases on April 11 for a total of 13,584 infected by COVID-19. President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation imposing severe punishments. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has announced additional lockdown measures from April 13-19 with all nonessential business and activity suspended. Grocery stores and pharmacies are open, and only the government, hospitals, protective gear manufacturers and the defense sector continue to work. Azmat talks about the strict restrictions on those over 65 years old, how different regions are in different stages of a shutdown and how the healthcare system is expected to cope with what happens in the future. An April 22 key referendum to change the constitution which among other things would allow the President to stay in power beyond 2024 has been postponed indefinitely. Also in danger of being cancelled or put off is the biggest event of the year for Russians-May 9 Pobeda Dyen-Victory Day in World War II. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invite, if it goes ahead that is.
