Moscow: President Vladimir Little bit on his New Year’s Eve speaking on Thursday he urged the Russians to unite in front the countryfight the coronavirus pandemic.
Appearing in front of the Kremlin for an address to be broadcast just before midnight in each of them RussiaIn the 11 time zones, Putin acknowledged that a second wave of infections continues to hit the country.
“Unfortunately, the epidemic has not yet been completely stopped. The fight against it does not stop for a minute,” he said on the state channel Rossiya 1, which broadcast the speech at midnight in Russia. The Far East (1200 GMT).
The president, who wore a black coat over a white shirt with a red tie, added that many medical workers will be “on duty on this festive night” and called on everyone else “not to retreat in the face of difficulties, in order to keep us unity “.
The longtime Russian leader said in his 17th New Year’s speech that he is convinced that together the Russians can “overcome everything” and “restore normal life.”
Unlike many European countries, Russia has avoided re-installing the kind of strict national blockade it introduced this spring in hopes of supporting a struggling economy.
While some major cities have reduced office workers and forced bars and restaurants to close early, most regions have limited restrictions on reducing mass gatherings and require masked clothing in public places.
But many Russians have rejected the guidelines on social distancing and the deaths in Covid-19 have ticked in recent weeks.
Moscow, one of the country’s epicenters, saw an increase in virus-related deaths from 1,569 in September to 3,573 in October to 4,542 in November.
Officials this week also confirmed that the national death toll from the virus is three times higher than previously reported.
But with approval ratings for Putin’s United Russia party declining ahead of next year’s key parliamentary elections, Russia hopes to avoid closing its economy.
Instead, he bet on a mass vaccination program using homemade Sputnik V shot to unfold in the outbreak.
But with Russians deeply skeptical about getting the jab, the launch was slow.
In Moscow, so far, only 50,000 people have been inoculated, as several recent polls have shown that only 38% of Russians intend to receive the vaccine.