Moscow: No vaccination protection – no money

As of today, at least 60 percent of employees in many Moscow companies must be vaccinated against Corona – otherwise fines are threatened. Those who could but do not get vaccinated must fear for their salary.

Maxim Belyayev has a lot to do. The Moscow restaurant owner also runs a catering company. He is currently on the way to the airport – for an order on the Russian Black Sea coast.

The 39-year-old said there were no problems with meeting the vaccination quota in his company: “Everyone understood that it was simply a prerequisite for being able to work at all, and everyone was vaccinated. who would have strictly refused. Everyone appreciates their job and understood. We just did it and that’s it. ”

As of today, catering, service, trade and transport companies in the Russian capital have to prove that at least 60 percent of their workforce is fully vaccinated. The same applies to the education and health sectors as well as in the public service.

Fines and bans on activity

If a company does not meet this quota, there is a risk of severe penalties, says caterer Balyayev: “It is up to 50,000 rubles – just under 600 euros – for private entrepreneurs, up to 300,000 rubles for companies and up to a million for further non-compliance.” From his point of view, the worst thing is the ban on activities for 90 days. “We didn’t have a lot of traffic during the pandemic anyway, but I wouldn’t want that.”

Even employees who do not want to be vaccinated can be hit hard: Those who refuse to be vaccinated without demonstrable medical reasons can be released from work – unpaid.

In June, the city and region of Moscow decided this vaccination light for certain industries and companies. The reason for this was the sharp increase in the number of infections due to the spread of the delta variant – as well as a very low vaccination rate. Although Russia officially approved Sputnik V, the world’s first corona vaccine, a year ago, just a fifth of all Russians are considered fully vaccinated.

Great distrust of the vaccination

One reason for this is the persistent distrust of the population – even after Sputnik V was certified by independent researchers to be very effective. “I don’t trust the vaccine,” says 27-year-old Marina, for example.

She was vaccinated anyway because she works at a Moscow university and only had two options: “Either get vaccinated or take unpaid leave. There were no discussions or alternatives.”

Moscow model goes to school

Municipal inspectors should check on site whether the prescribed vaccination quota is being adhered to in companies and companies. Most of it runs online, explains restaurant owner Maxim Belyayev: “My colleague has entered all the information about the employees and submitted all vaccination documents on the Moscow city government website. It’s pretty simple and clear.”

Well over 40 Russian regions have now joined the Moscow vaccination model. Some state corporations go even further. The head of the state oil giant Rosneft said at the beginning of the year that all 300,000 employees would be required to have a corona vaccination – 100 percent.