Media Review for May 4, 2020

The warning of a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the growth of bad loans, and oil prices are the topics of today's media.

The newspaper Azerbaijan warns of the likelihood of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, recalling the extension of the quarantine regime and some concessions after May 4. However, in Baku, Sumgait, Ganja, Lankaran and the Absheron region, mitigations are not so significant.

After May 11, the issue of allowing people over 65 years old to leave their homes will be considered, but the ban on weddings, commemorations and other public events remains in force.

The SMS warning system has been eliminated in the country's regions, except for Baku, Ganja, Sumgait, Lankaran and the Absheron region.

The elimination of strict restrictions should not relax citizens, since the danger has not passed, and the second wave of the pandemic may return. If the number of infected people grows, then quarantine will be tightened.

Azadlıq-info website writes about bad loans, which over the past 3 months increased by 9% or 114 million manats, amounting to 1.387 billion manats. Experts have no doubt that bad loans will increase due to the decline in activity in the economy, a significant decrease in household incomes and the closure of banks.

Müsavat.com writes about falling oil prices, noting that this would have happened without a pandemic. Experts believe that even after the pandemic, the price of oil will remain low. There are several reasons: the growing interest in alternative energy sources, as well as the crisis in the global economy.