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Coronavirus pandemic

Putin lauds Russian social workers’ heroic efforts during the pandemic

The Russian president added that the state tried to furnish the necessary support to social workers

© Sergei Ilyin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

NOVO-OGARYOVO, June 8. /TASS/. The efforts of social workers in Russia during the spread of COVID-19 were selfless and sometimes even heroic. They worked to their limits despite the enormous workload and all the difficulties, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at an online meeting with social workers.

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According to the head of state, social workers’ selfless actions during the pandemic deserve immense gratitude and appreciation. He was confident that every Russian citizen "felt the special human dimension of their work, realized what serving society actually meant in real life and what actions have great moral strength and spiritual generosity."

"Despite the colossal workload and all the difficulties, you selflessly and sometimes heroically, as they say in such cases, fulfilled your duties, working to your limits, practically without days off, taking care of [people], trying to protect them from danger, and soothing and cheering up the elderly and severely ill people," the president noted.

State support

Putin added that, for its part, the state tried to furnish the necessary support to social workers. Special additional payments were introduced to employees of residential care facilities who remained in the workplace for weeks. Financial assistance was also provided to employees of non-profit organizations, those who took senior citizens, physically challenged people, orphans from social institutions to their homes, the president said.

"Special assistance was provided to socially-oriented non-profit organizations. The issue at hand is preferential loans, exemption from taxes and insurance payments for the second quarter of 2020, and reducing reporting and the number of audits," he noted.

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