20:52, 3 December 2020

Chechen official threatens with fines for violation of COVID-19 restrictions

Magomed Daudov; believers in a mosque. Photo: Zelamkh https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Magomed_Daudov#/media/File:Magomed_Daudov.jpg REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

The authorities of Chechnya will impose high fines for residents and entrepreneurs who neglect the prevention of the coronavirus infection spread, announces Magomed Daudov, the chairman of the Chechen parliament.

During the pandemic in Chechnya, the number of cases of the coronavirus infection reached 4609, and 70 patients died, the website "Stopkoronavirus.rf" reports.

On his Instagram page, Magomed Daudov wrote that strict compliance with the mask regime, social distancing, and other preventive measures would help avoid an uncontrolled increase in the infection incidence.

Most commentators supported the tightening of monitoring concerning the compliance with the coronavirus prevention measures.

The leader of Chechnya and his associates, with rare exceptions, ignored the strict requirements for wearing masks in public places, which they themselves set for ordinary residents.

Earlier, analysts have expressed the opinion that the failure by Chechen residents to comply properly with the coronavirus prevention restrictions was provoked by the fact that officials themselves ignored the restrictions. According to political analyst Ali Magomaev, officials follow the example of Ramzan Kadyrov, who believes that he had COVID-19 and is immune to the infection.

According to Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the NGO "Civic Assistance Committee", the fact that the leader of the republic does not wear a mask is a disregard for "both his own people and the rules that he sets and that others must comply with."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 3, 2020 at 10:40 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.