Mass vaccination in Tatarstan beginning this year — but mask remain mandatory

Tatarstan is open to tourists, but local residents will be kept on a tight rein

Marina Patyashina, the head of the Rospotrebnadzor department for Tatarstan, reassured residents of the republic by saying that the authorities do not plan to close the borders of the region. She is sure that today, when the fight against the new coronavirus has been going on for the past nine months, this measure will not show effectiveness. At the same time, in April, when the pandemic had just begun, the closure gave some results.

“It is impractical to close borders between regions. Today, when there is a mass spread of infection going, this should not be done. There is no need to be afraid that the regions will close," the head of the department believes.

However, before you go to another region, Patyashina advises you to read the list of restrictions in it, so as not to spoil your vacation. Patyashina calls the measures introduced in Tatarstan quite soft compared with other regions, for example, in St. Petersburg, whose authorities urged tourists not to come to them for the New Year holidays.

A corporate party with a gift and masks... medical ones

Tatarstan, unlike St. Petersburg, does not encourage tourists not to go to the republic. Especially in light of that not so long ago, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov signed a decree that allows public catering establishments to work on New Year's eve until 3.00 am.

New Year's corporate parties are also allowed in the republic, Patyashina notes, however, with some quite obvious restrictions — four square metres for a person, there must be a distance of at least 1,5 metres between the tables, visitors must wear masks, and staff must use antiseptics and wear gloves.

“We do not recommend participating in them (corporate events — editor's note) to people with signs of viral respiratory infections, who have chronic diseases and people over 65 years of age. If you hold or participate in a corporate event where one company, and [the corporate event takes place] in the form of a banquet — no more than 100 people are allowed, taking into account that one person has four square metres. If the room is larger, it does not allow you to seat other people at the tables. There should be only one company," Patyashina specifies.

Such restrictions, according to the official, are designed to prevent a surge in the incidence of diseases after the January holidays. Summing up, Patyashina said that they do not plan to tighten measures, but they call on residents of the republic to be responsible.

Despite the increase in the number of cases caused by seasonal diseases such as viral respiratory infections, a “second wave” is out of question, in general, the epidemiological situation is “tense, but stable”. And the daily indicator — about 90 cases, Patyashina calls safe, especially in comparison with other regions.

Mask is also mandatory for people with antibodies

The presence of antibodies to coronavirus, which, according to Patyashina, people are waiting for like manna from heaven, does not exclude the obligation to wear a mask. The head of Rospotrebnadzor herself is sure that masks are an effective measure of protection against at least drops containing infection that fly out of the mouth and nose.

“The mask is an effective preventive measure. It is necessary to wear it and make comments to everyone we see without a mask. I myself, when I am in places of mass stay, make comments," she said.

According to Patyashina, Tatarstan citizens are responsible for this measure, unlike residents of other regions of the country, but violations are still recorded — over the past week, more than 4,500 protocols on administrative offenses were drawn up on people without masks, and here we are talking only about individuals.

Domestic vaccine and no remote learning

Tatarstan plans to start vaccinating people against the new coronavirus by the end of 2020. For this purpose, Russian Sputnik V, developed by the “serious research institute”, will be used. As Patyashina noted, vaccination is a voluntary matter, and no one can force a citizen to get vaccinated without their desire, even an employer who insists on it. At the same time, the head of Rospotrebnadzor reminds that you can only get vaccinated if a person is healthy, and in case of malaise, he advises to get cured, wait a few days and only then go to “inject”.

But for students, Patyashina saved, perhaps, not the most positive news. There is no reason to switch to remote learning and will not be. If you follow all the precautions, no problems will arise, the head of the Tatarstan Rospotrebnadzor assured. Whether the decision to refuse to switch to distance learning is related to the quality of education received — Patyashina did not say, but noted that “if she was a student, she would be happy with this format, especially in winter”.