A forum covering the coronavirus took place in Moscow
on Saturday and was streamed on the YouTube channels Roscongress TV and Doctor, as well as on the popular Russian social networking site OK.ru. The event, entitled The Next 20 Years, was
organized by the Roscongress Foundation with support from the Doctor Channel.
“The spread of the coronavirus and restrictions put in
place to combat it not only determined the agenda of the event, but its online
format too. The Roscongress Foundation intends to continue working on digital
projects such as this one. During this period of self-isolation, they enable
people to communicate with one another and share advanced practices and
knowledge,” said Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the
Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev.
Speakers at The Next 20 Years included Melita
Vuinovich, representative of the World Health Organization in the Russian
Federation, and Andrey Klepach, Chief Economist at the state development
corporation VEB.RF. The guests each gave lectures on the situation regarding
the coronavirus pandemic in Russia and the world, and answered viewers’
questions submitted via the streaming sites. The forum was moderated by Alexey Bobrovsky, Head of Russia 24’s Economic News
Service.
“Russia’s healthcare system is ready to fight the
coronavirus, but it’s vital to adhere to self-isolation guidelines and stay at
home in order to curtail growth in the number of infections,” said Vuinovich.
“The epidemic is increasing in speed. It is like a race. That said, we can stop
it if we follow the recommendations.”
The most important things to do include maintaining
social distancing and regularly sanitizing hands and objects that are handled
by people. More information on the recommendations given by Vuinovich is
available on the ROSCONGRESS.ORG Information and Analytical System.
In his lecture, Klepach focused on the economic impact
of the pandemic, and put forward three possible scenarios for the future. In
the most optimistic scenario, the global economy would continue to grow, albeit
at a lower rate than previously forecast. This would primarily be driven by the
economies of China and India. The second scenario is one of stagnation, with
growth close to 0%. The third possibility is a major recession, with the global
economy contracting by 1.5–2%. However, this is the least likely scenario.
“Concrete measures which should mitigate the
consequences for business and the public have already been taken by the Russian
government. These not only include social benefits, but tax breaks for small
and medium-sized enterprises, as well as microenterprises. Nevertheless,
judging by the experience of other countries, and the state of crisis that a
whole range of industries are in, it is clear that additional economic measures
are needed,” Klepach said.
The event took place following a programme on Roscongress
TV which explored the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on the convention
and exhibition industry. To view the programme, click here.
In addition, a guide on preventing and treating COVID-19
infections has been published on the ROSCONGRESS.ORG Information and
Analytical System. It is the first scientific guide of its kind drawn up by the
Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation, with support from the First
Affiliated Hospital of the Zhejiang University School of Medicine (China). The
handbook was translated into Russian by Rossiya Segodnya news agency with
support from the Russian Direct Investment Fund and in scientific consultation
with the Sechinov First Moscow State Medical University.
