RUSSIAN REGIONS REQUIRE COVID JABS FOR CORPORATE EMPLOYEES

Officials in several regions in Russia said on Thursday that they plan to introduce compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations in companies as case numbers rise, a day after Moscow introduced the requirement.

In the far eastern Sakhalin peninsula, many employers must ensure that at least 60 percent of their staffers have been vaccinated by September, according to the regional head of the consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor, Olga Funtusova, Hannah Wagner and Christian Thiele reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

The regulation affects staff in education and health care settings, beauty salons, gyms, and public transport, Funtusova said, according to Interfax news agency.

Even half a year since the start of mass vaccinations, many people in Russia are still hesitant about receiving one of the Russian-made shots.

On Wednesday, Moscow's top medical officer ordered a number of companies to have at least 60 percent of their employees vaccinated, in view of rising case numbers.

The broader Moscow region adopted a similar rule, as did Kemerovo in Siberia.

Critics argue there is no legal basis for the requirement.

They say that companies are likely to use "legal and illegal measures" to pressure staff in order to meet the regulation as they could otherwise face penalties, a lawyer told Meduza, a news portal critical of the government.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the moves adopted by the regions were "absolutely correct," but reiterated that Russia-wide compulsory vaccinations were not planned.

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