Press Release, 13.04.2020

Boris Vishnevsky, head of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, called on Roman Pugin, head of the St. Petersburg police, to consider the possibility of involving police officers in providing social assistance to elderly residents of St. Petersburg who are forcibly sent to “self-isolation” and are deprived of the opportunity to leave their homes.

The head of the Yabloko faction indicates that since March 28 all mass events have been banned in St. Petersburg, rallies, processions and meetings, which traditionally involve a significant number of police officers, are not held any more. Vishnevsky also notes that since many citizens now work at home, the level of street crime have probably also decreased. Thus, the burden on police officers should have reduced.

According to Boris Vishnevsky, there are more than 870,000 citizens over the age of 65 in St. Petersburg, and even assuming that a significant part of them live with younger relatives or relatives help them, then hundreds of thousands of people still need help (food delivery, purchase of medicines, payment of housing and communal services and garbage removal). At the same time, the number of volunteers willing to help them is now just over 2,000 people, which is clearly not enough.

“I would think it would be right if some of the police will now, in cooperation with social services, help older people buy food and medicine, take out garbage and other issues, rather than fight against those old people who may leave their homes and break the regime of “self-isolation”, the deputy’s appeal runs.

It should be noted that the decision of the St. Petersburg government forbids residents of St.Petersburg over 65 from leaving home and obliges them to strictly observe the self-isolation regime until April 30.

Earlier, Boris Vishnevsky called on the St.Petersburg government to provide financial assistance and other assistance to St. Petersburg residents affected by the quarantine; the deputy also sent a number of concrete proposals to the Governor that would make life easier for St.Petersburg residents during the quarantine caused by COVID-19. In addition, the head of the Yabloko faction requested information from the city officials about the situation with personal protection equipment in the city, and also proposed to grant a rent waiver to entrepreneurs and NGOs renting premises from St. Petersburg until the end of the quarantine period.