Chechen residents criticize authorities for inconsistent quarantine measures

A statement voiced by the Chechen Minister for Public Health concerning no obligations to wear medical masks contradicts the law enforcers' requirements, local residents say. Despite the imposed quarantine regime, Ramzan Kadyrov considered outdoor recreation acceptable and called a bonfire a cure to prevent coronavirus infection.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in Chechnya, law enforcers patrol streets at night and ask local residents to return to their homes. Those people who went out of need are required to wear medical masks and gloves.

On March 30, on the air of the "Grozny" TV Channel, Elkhan Suleimanov, Chechen Minister for Public Health, stated that there was no need for healthy people to wear medical masks, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported. "Firstly. A person should wear a mask only if he or she sneezes or coughs. Secondly. A person should wear a mask if he or she is caring for a patient," Elkhan Suleimanov said.

In another video posted on the Instagram public account "ChP Chechnya" on March 31, Ramzan Kadyrov answers the question of whether residents of Chechnya are allowed to relax in the country side. "Of course, you can, if you go not far, outside a village. If you are going to travel through the whole republic <...> and rent a room at a hotel or stay at a resort then it is dangerous. You should leave a village, light a good bonfire <...> It is also an antivirus," Ramzan Kadyrov says.

Users who left their comments in the Chechen language noted that the statement voiced by the Minister for Public Health contradicted the law enforcers' requirements. "They were beating people with rubber hosepipes and said that [they were beating them for walking in the streets] without masks. Now they say [masks] are not needed," user ealimuun wrote. "It turns out that the people were for nothing subjected to beatings with rubber hosepipes," noted user murtazaliev.771.

Social network users were also surprised by the Ramzan Kadyrov's words about outdoor recreation. "What? How can we go to the country side to relax if we are not allowed to [look out of a house]," wrote user mmiillerr_.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 31, 2020 at 01:30 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.