Posted 7 июля 2021,, 14:14

Published 7 июля 2021,, 14:14

Modified 24 декабря 2022,, 22:37

Updated 24 декабря 2022,, 22:37

…And the first became the last. Even small Latvia can cope with covid, but not Russia

…And the first became the last. Even small Latvia can cope with covid, but not Russia

7 июля 2021, 14:14
The country that pioneered the coronavirus vaccine, and was the first to offer the vaccine to other countries, is now in its dire straits.
Сюжет
Pandemic

Zintis Znotinsh, independent journalist, Latvia

Many people try to propagate that Latvia is a failed state and that Russia is doing much better. However, the majority of people who express such an opinion still prefer to live in Latvia rather than Russia. Strange, isn't it? But the tastes are different and that's perfectly normal.

I have already spoken about living conditions in Russia and Latvia, for example, about pensions or salaries. The average salary and pension in Latvia is higher than in Russia, but we know that in Latvia there are no minerals that could replenish the state budget, and in Russia there is an abundance of them.

However, let's not talk about raw materials, everything is clear with them, but rather let's look at Russia's successes in the fight against Covid-19. Everyone knows that Russia was the first to invent a vaccine, was the first to start producing a vaccine and was the first to launch the vaccination process, but ...

From a purely logical point of view, then, after being ahead of everyone else, Russia should have become a country with a better situation with Covid-19 - or, at least, better than Latvia. But…

What is the situation in Russia, a country that boasted that it was the first to invent, produce and apply a vaccine? If you remember, Russia offered its vaccines to several countries, which could only mean that Russia has already overcome the Covid-19 crisis. However, apart from promises, nothing was done: Russia fulfilled only 8% of its obligations.1

But let's forget about promises from other countries. How many vaccinated people are there in Russia itself? It turns out that in this she also lags far behind. In Latvia, 33.65% of the population received the vaccine, while in Russia only 13.47%. The numbers speak for themselves. Let me remind you that Latvia did not invent or produce its own vaccine.

Someone might argue that Russia was not able to take care of its citizens because of international sanctions, and that otherwise Russia would be an example for other countries.

Okay, let's agree with that for a moment. But draw your own conclusions. If the rest of the world believes that people should have the right to choose whether to get the vaccine or not, in Russia everything is very simple: vaccination is compulsory, and those who refuse to receive the vaccine can be fired.

St. Petersburg has become the eighth region in Russia where vaccination is mandatory for certain groups of the population. Other regions in which vaccination is mandatory for people working in the service sector and other areas are Moscow and Moscow, Leningrad, Tula, Kemerovo, Sakhalin and Tver regions.

Labor and Social Protection Minister Anton Kotyakov said that in regions where vaccination is compulsory, employers will be able to fire employees who have not passed it, without any other reason.

Interestingly, in May, Putin said there was no reason for mandatory vaccinations. That is, the boss said no, but the subordinates did not listen to him? This cannot be true, especially if you remember that earlier Putin said that Russia has coped with Covid-19. If this is true, then why is mandatory vaccination necessary?

The reality is that most of Europe can breathe a sigh of relief, as the spread of Covid-19 is slowing down and many restrictions can be lifted, while in Russia the situation is the opposite, the number of infected in it is only growing.

So, comparing the situation in Latvia and Russia, I confess: I am very happy that I live in Latvia.

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