Azerbaijanis do not believe in the competence of the Operational Headquarters

Baku/06.06.20/Turan: Since the end of May, the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has reported about the latest anti-records of the number of new coronavirus infections per day. On May 27,  165 new  infected patients were perceived by the population as a huge number, but then the daily infection rate rose and compared with the data from June 5, when 338 new patients were detected, the previous indicators seem insignificant.

With the increase of daily infection data, public confidence in the competence of the Operational Headquarters, in which the Association for the Management of Medical Territorial Units (TƏBİB) is the leading organization, falls. Society is discussing the reasonability of introducing a total hard ban on Saturday and Sunday. If during quarantine, the absolute ban on leaving apartments, concerned only citizens aged 65 and above, then from 00:00 on Saturday, June 6, for two days an absolute ban is applied to all citizens, with the exception of employees of operational government agencies. The news was the introduction of criminal penalties for violation of quarantine.

The new ban is explained by the need to reduce the growth curve of daily coronavirus infection. The society asks the question: what about the next working days of the week, from Monday to Friday, when people rush to work in the morning, using public transport.

It seems that the Operation Headquarters did not provide for mass shopping for residents of the most infected regions of the country (Ganja, Baku, Lankaran, and Absheron). Learning about the impending ban, residents on Thursday and Friday rushed to the stores to buy food for the weekend and next days. The crowds in the shops will definitely cause an increase in the contagion, not foreseen by the Operation Center, and the sellers will especially suffer. On Friday in one of the large stores in Sumgayit, sellers and guards infected with coronavirus were found. Therefore, the introduction of a ban on the weekend can lead to the opposite effect, causing an unexpected rapid increase in infection in Azerbaijan.

Social networks write about the incompetence of the Operational Headquarters. The publicized event on the issuance of 190 manats of state aid to the needy (per month!) Caused criticism not only because of the meager nature of this amount, half of which should immediately be given to pay for utilities. Compared to $1,200 assistance in the United States and $ 2,000 assistance in Canada for a pandemic, $ 112 (190 manat) is shameful for a country that prides itself on "supplying Europe with oil."

However, thousands of needy could not assistance.  The families in which have at least one worker in the family, even if he earns minimum wage (250 manat) a month, does not get financial assistance. Owners of land, although the presence of their land does not necessarily mean the presence of  own tomato greenhouse or a profitable barn, owners of cars  also  do not receive state aid, regardless of whether it is possible to “tax” it, or is it a pile of rusty metal.

The list of those who received one-time assistance published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection revealed the attributed "dead souls", as it turned out that the list includes people living abroad and not receiving help. "In the lists of the Ministry of Labor are included people who did not apply for any assistance and didn’t receive any reported benefits, wrote  on his page on the social network Facebook scientist-economist Gubad Ibadoglu. “If the Ministry of Labor allocated money to people who didn’t suspect anything about it, it’s hard to imagine how many really needy citizens were left without help,” the economist said.

Director of the Turan news agency Mehman Aliyev said that the agency recorded facts of refusal of assistance based on falsehoods. For example, the applicant is informed with reference to a non-existent source that he has a land share. For example, the basis for refusal is the power of attorney to drive a car, but a power of attorney for driving is not a certificate of ownership.“ The authorities did everything to reach as few citizens as possible. In fact, at least 700 thousand people in need were left behind,” Aliyev said.

According to the Ministry of Labor, in May, 350 thousand citizens of 83 thousand families received targeted social assistance. The country has 252 thousand registered unemployed. If we accept that not all unemployed have registered in this status, it becomes clear that the most disadvantaged received 190 manat. Citizens living a bit better than the unemployed did not receive state assistance. At the same time, in Georgia, whose population is more than half that of Azerbaijan, in May 427,206 citizens (200 GEL, 93 US dollars) received one-time assistance. In June, lump sum assistance in Azerbaijan will not be issued.

It is not known what Operational Headquarters will do after the completion of the forbidden weekend. Observations on Friday in Baku showed that the use of medical masks by the population, and they are now considered the only personal protection for operating enterprises and transport, has grown significantly. At the same time, many people on the streets are still without masks.

According to the norms, every two hours the mask should be replaced with a new one. According to BBC News, on June 3, some pharmacies in Azerbaijan sold no more than 2-3 masks in one hand, while others did not have this product. Many people wear one copy of the mask for days and actually become potential carriers of the virus and sources of its spread. The representative of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ibrahim Mammadov, says that 500-550 thousand masks are produced daily in two domestic new factories. The weekly production of these plants, therefore, should satisfy the need of every resident of Baku (including infants) for 1-2 masks daily; but there are not these simple products. How does the Operational Headquarters intend to save the people if our only protection - masks, are scarce in the country that produces them? It follows that the state does not intend to keep citizens in forced quarantine, but at the same time wishes that the people were feeding themselves and their leaders at the same time.--0--