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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 19 January 2022
Russia shortens COVID-19 isolation to 7 days as cases surge

By DASHA LITVINOVA tional lockdown, in 2020,
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian although many Russians
authorities are shortening were ordered to stay off
the required isolation peri- work for a week in Octo-
od for people infected with ber 2021 amid a jump in re-
COVID-19 from 14 to seven ported cases and deaths.
days as the country faces On Friday, the government
another surge of COVID-19 decided to indefinitely
cases, this time driven by postpone introducing re-
the highly contagious omi- strictions for unvaccinated
cron variant. people, which would have
Deputy Prime Minister Taty- been extremely unpopular
ana Golikova, who runs the among vaccine-hesitant
country's coronavirus task Russians.
force, said Tuesday that Just about half of Russia's
health officials were "opti- population of 146 million
mizing our approaches to has been fully vaccinat-
quarantine and testing of ed, even though Russia
our citizens, including short- boasted about being the
ening the quarantine pe- first country in the world
riod to seven days." cant undercount. Putin has said that Russia The recent surge of in- to approve and roll out a
Golikova added that other The daily number of coro- has "a couple of weeks" fections hasn't so far led domestically developed
policy changes will be ad- navirus infections con- to prepare for the unprec- to a spike in hospitaliza- coronavirus vaccine.
opted in the coming days, firmed in Russia has dou- edented wave. tions, Russian Prime Minis- In Moscow, Mayor Sergei
without elaborating. She bled over the past week, Golikova said Tuesday that ter Mikhail Mishustin noted Sobyanin extended his or-
also didn't explain the ra- going from over 15,000 on 1,682 omicron cases have Tuesday. ders obligating companies
tionale for cutting the isola- Jan. 10 to 31,252 on Tues- been officially confirmed in "So far we are not seeing to keep at least 30% of staff
tion period. Earlier rules re- day. Officials say the surge Russia so far, but the actu- the same proportion of se- working from home and
quired a two-week isolation could end up as the coun- al number is much higher. vere cases as with delta," people older than 60 to
period for those who test try's biggest yet but so far The new variant is already Mishustin said, adding "we stay at home until April 1,
positive, with a mandatory haven't announced any dominating in Moscow, the need to be prepared for but said at this point there
follow-up test on day 11. major restrictions to stem it. outlying region and St. Pe- any course of events." was no need for any addi-
Russia already has by far Anna Popova, the head tersburg, Russia's second Kremlin spokesman Dmi- tional restrictions
Europe's worst death toll of Russian public health largest city, she said. try Peskov said Tuesday The Russian capital on Tues-
in the pandemic at over watchdog Rospotrebnad- Rospotrebnadzor said a to- that authorities were not day reported 8,342 new in-
322,000 deaths by its official zor, said last week that new tal of 1,241 omicron cases discussing another nation- fections, more than twice
tally, a number that other daily cases might reach six have been registered in wide lockdown. the figure just a week ago.
statistics suggest is a signifi- figures. President Vladimir Moscow as of Tuesday. Russia had only one na- q

Colombia's Ingrid Betancourt Egypt's president raises

anounces presidential run minimum monthly wage

By MANUEL RUEDA Associ- claim the rights of 51 million es. But her time in captiv- to around $172
ated Press Colombians who are not ity ended in 2008 through
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — finding justice, because we a military operation, where CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's president on Tuesday raised the
Colombian politician Ingrid live in a system designed to Colombian soldiers dis- minimum monthly wage to about $172, a move meant
Betancourt, who was held reward criminals." guised as humanitarian to ease the burdens of Egyptians hurt by painful auster-
as a hostage for six years Betancourt spent six years workers snatched Betan- ity measures in recent years.
by Colombia's largest guer- in guerrilla camps deep in court and several other President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced in a state-
rilla group, said on Tuesday the Amazon jungle, where hostages from the FARC ment that the minimum monthly wage in the country
that she will be running for sometimes rebel fighters without firing a single bullet. would be 2,700 Egyptian pounds ($171.5) — a 12.5% in-
her country's presidency. would tie her to a tree with Betancourt withdrew from crease from the current 2,400 Egyptian pounds ($152.5).
The announcement comes metal chains to prevent her public life after being freed He also raised salaries of civil servants by about 13%. This
almost two decades after from escaping. Her proof spending much of her time is the third annual minimum wage increase since el-Sissi
Betancourt was kidnapped of life videos, in which she with family in France. But took office in 2014. The announcement came after el-
by the Revolutionary asked officials to investi- she returned to Colombia's Sissi met Tuesday with the prime minister, finance minis-
Armed Forces of Colombia gate the circumstances political scene last year as ter and other financial officials to discuss the next bud-
while also campaigning for that led to her own kidnap- the country prepared for get. Bonuses for school teachers were also announced.
the country's top office for ping, and then pleaded elections that will be held The statement did not say when the increases will be
the Green Oxygen Party, with the government to in May. While announcing applied, but they are expected with the start of the
a movement she founded resume peace talks with her run for the presidency new fiscal year in July,
while she was a congress- the FARC rebels were aired Betancourt said she would The austerity measures were part of an ambitious eco-
woman. widely in Colombia and fight to end impunity for nomic reform program intended to revive Egypt's econ-
"Today I am here to finish abroad. corrupt politicians as well omy, mauled by years of political turmoil and violence
off what I started with many The politician became a as the economic dispar- following the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime auto-
of you in 2002" Betancourt symbol of international ity that have long afflicted crat Hosni Mubarak.
said in a conference room campaigns seeking peace Colombia, where protests The reforms were agreed on with the International Mon-
where she announced her talks in Colombia and the against inequality shook up etary Fund in exchange for a $12 billion loan, which
candidacy. "I am here to liberation of FARC hostag- local politics last year.q Egypt's government secured in 2016.q