MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that Russia has tackled the COVID-19 pandemic well, perhaps better than other states, he said during the annual press conference on Thursday.

"Considering the huge amount of issues that we have faced, and there is a whole sea of troubles <…> a whole ocean that splashed out all over the world, we can say with confidence that we have tackled these issues well, and perhaps in some ways even better than other countries in the world that have the right to be proud of their economic stability and the development of their social and healthcare services," Putin said.

"Not a single [healthcare] system worldwide was ready for the scale that we encountered. There is simply no system like that. <...> Compared to what was going on in the world, of course, our system turned out to be more effective," Putin said.

According to the president, Russia managed to win some time in order to fight the infection thanks to a swift reaction at the very beginning of the pandemic. "We reacted at once at the border and won time in order to begin active preparation for the moment when it comes to us in large amount and scale." 

The president noted that 2020 cannot be called bad. "It’s like weather. Is there good or bad weather? It’s just weather. And it’s the same with the year. There are pros and cons, like in life," the Russian leader said. He noted that the year is marked by the coronavirus pandemic, adding that it is a common issue for Russia and for the entire world. "We know this well, there are over 70 mln people who faced it, according to the WHO, and this problem has made an impact on all spheres of our life," the president said, recalling that the pandemic has brought on such issues as lockdowns, production cuts, rise of unemployment and decreased income.

GDP contraction

GDP contraction in Russia equals 3.6%, which is less than in all leading European countries and the US, Vladimir Putin said.

"GDP contraction is 3.6% as of now," he said, adding that it is less than in almost all leading EU countries where GDP contraction totaled up to 9% in a number of states. Moreover, the Russian economy is faring better than the US economy, the president noted.

Russia’s industrial production "slipped" by 3% by now mainly due to the oil price, he added. "Due to the OPEC+ deal, we have cut production, which affected [Russia’s] total results," Putin explained.

He also emphasized that there is good news as well. "My colleagues from the government reported to me yesterday that manufacturing increased by 1.1% in November, which points to the trend persisting, and we will move ahead in that direction," the president said.

According to the latest global statistics, about 74.2 mln people have been infected worldwide and over 1.6 mln deaths have been reported. To date, 2,762,668 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 2,202,540 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 49,151 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.