Combating COVID-19 on a local level

Measures Taken by Kazan City Municipality in Response to COVID-19

In March 2020 due to the threat of coronavirus spread the President of the Republic of Tatarstan declared the special sanitary and epidemiological regime in the region. Tatarstan citizens were recommended to stay at home and go out in exceptional cases. During this period, the regional government has defined a procedure for issuing special mobility permits via a specialized service. 

Most of the restrictions introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, are cancelled stage by stage: system of special mobility permits is ceased, masks and gloves are required just in transport, retail and public service places; shops, parks, summer cafes and restaurants are opened.

Economic

Mayor of Kazan Mr. Ilsur Metshin canceled the rent for the summer cafes for this season, the payment for municipal parking on Saturdays and after 18.00 on weekdays for six months. He also announced the partial moratorium on fines and supported the idea of creating social advertising. Conducting supervisory inspections was prohibited.

Mayor of Kazan approved the decision of housing companies not to charge penalties for late payment and suspend disconnecting debtors for utilities. Subscription fees in kindergartens during self-isolation regime was cancelled.

Education

Distance learning was provided in all schools of the city. Instructions and videos on using electronic educational platforms with free access had been sent to all schools. 

By the decision of the Mayor of Kazan 24.5 thousand school children from low income families, as well as children with disabilities, were provided with food kits for the period of distance learning at the expense of the city budget. Special groups had been created in Kazan kindergartens for children whose parents have to work full time.

Social

On the basis of the City Committee for Children and Youth a volunteer service called "We are together. Help for the elderly" was established with more than 500 volunteers. Volunteers worked out calls and helped with the purchase of essential goods, payment for housing and utilities services, and many others. 

In Kazan, about 50 city tournaments and championships have been postponed to a later date. Free online training sessions with professional fitness trainers have been organized. Classes were held in the format of live broadcasts on social networks.

Kazan residents could join the online project "Library Next Door". It was created to inform people about the availability of particular literature in the libraries as well as to organize interesting intellectual events online.

Mobility

Kazan subway worked on changed schedule, local trains, including those that go through Kazan, were suspended during pandemic. The entire transport fleet of the city of Kazan was continuously disinfected.

There were traffic police check stations at the city entrances. Police and law enforcement officials checked that drivers comply with the rules of self-isolation, established on the territory of the region during the spread of the coronavirus.

Sanitary

Kazan hospitals with the patients who are suspected of having COVID-19 coronavirus infection are disinfected on a timely manner. The employees of the Kazan disinfection station decontaminated the border and customs control zones, observatories and transport used for health needs with special tools. Citizens could send their request for disinfection of stairwells of residential buildings via special website.

Medical workers and volunteers in Kazan were provided with unlimited travel tickets for all types of transport. This measure of support is very important during the period when employees of medical institutions are working in intensive mode.

"Yandex.Taxi" company provided 30 cars for emergency medical care. This reduced the burden on medical staff teams in the number of medical institutions of the city. In addition, according to the decision of the Mayor of Kazan, 15 official cars of the Kazan Municipality were temporarily used to serve local hospitals.