Kudrin sees new pandemic as bad as previous

MOSCOW, Jan 15 (PRIME) -- The year of 2021 is unlikely to be significantly simpler than 2020, as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has begun, and may be as tough as the second one, Audit Chamber Head Alexei Kudrin told reporters on Friday on the sidelines of the Gaidar Forum.

“The year of 2021 may not be easier. The thing we see in the European countries now is a third wave, and things like that usually come to us in some time. We weathered the second wave. The third wave of the pandemic is coming, and may be as bad as the second, or even worse. That is why we will be unable to relax, there will be no favorable regime,” he said.

This year will be difficult, and the government would have to develop new support measures. The government already prolonged the anti-crisis measures it introduced in 2020, but it would need additional steps to fight the crisis. In addition to that, the government should remember that it has old problems to solve.

“In the end, we shouldn’t forget that we still have a large amount of poor people, which is also connected to the pandemic. We need structural reforms as well, we cannot avoid them,” he said.

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