Coronavirus: Can Russia flatten the curve?
The Stream asks how pandemic can be tackled in sprawling nation.
On Wednesday, April 29 at 19:30 GMT:
Russia is now among the 10 nations most affected by coronavirus, with Moscow announcing on Tuesday that recorded cases had reached 93,558.
Russia, like most countries dealing with the pandemic, faces a number of hurdles in flattening the curve. Medical staff in Moscow say they do not have enough personal protective gear and point to a high rate of infection among health workers.
The government has moved to increase information-gathering during the virus, taking measures including launching a smartphone app that tracks people who are under quarantine. Government opponents call the measures draconian and say they risk turning Russia into a “digital concentration camp”.
In this episode of The Stream, we discuss Russia’s handling of the pandemic and ask: Is there anything more that can be done?
On this episode of The Stream, we speak to:
Pjotr Sauer, @PjotrSauer
Reporter, The Moscow Times
Dr Anastasiya Vasilyeva, @DrAnastasy
Union leader, Doctors’ Alliance
Mark Sleboda, @MarkSleboda1
International relations and security analyst
Read more:
The pandemic may change Russia’s calculus in the Middle East
Russian power stations delaying repairs amid coronavirus outbreak