Russian economy operates 90% freely during Covid-19 pandemic
On the one hand, it ensures every Moscow resident medical assistance in case of high morbidity in the city, on the other hand, it creates conditions for the development of the economy.
On September 8, speaking at the 5th Moscow Financial Forum, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the precise restrictive measures applied during the Covid-19 pandemic have both ensured health care for the people and helped the city's economy in particular and Russia's in general operate freely up to 90% and suffered only minor damage.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that each country takes its own measures, reacts in its own way to the Covid-19 pandemic. For Moscow, the restrictive measures adopted by the capital's authorities are in a sparing mode.
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“On the one hand, we adopted a conservative regime of restrictive measures that allowed the economy to function 90% freely during the pandemic. On the other hand, when we saw the threat growing, we adopted precise measures that allowed us to neutralize these processes and get out of the peak. We always made such decisions based on the fact that our healthcare system coped with the situation. When we saw that the peak was coming and we were on the brink, only then did we introduce restrictive measures to break this wave,” said Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
According to Mayor Sobyanin, the city authorities, on the one hand, ensure medical assistance to every Muscovite in case of high morbidity in the city, and on the other hand, create conditions for the development of the economy. He noted that, similar algorithms are applied throughout the country, the economy of Russia and cities have been affected to a lesser extent than other actions of the authorities.
He also emphasized that the Covid-19 pandemic has lasted for 1.5 years. And the Government and government agencies must consider and come up with compromise solutions that, on the one hand, will allow to ensure the health and medical care of citizens, on the other hand, will not destroy the economy, not cut the number of jobs, not cut income, not increase unemployment, ... and maintain the normal psychological state of citizens. The Moscow Metropolitan Government always balances all of these things.
In a related development, also at the Moscow Financial Forum, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that the Russian economy has recovered since June, the country's GDP has reached pre-pandemic levels, despite the fact that it is still early to talk about a complete victory over Covid-19.
The Russian Ministry of Economic Development forecasts that Russia's GDP growth in 2021 will be at least 4.2%. Economic growth will be facilitated by a rapid recovery in raw material exports, a rapid increase in trade turnover and investment in fixed assets./.