Yakutia residents pressured to get COVID jabs

Residents of Yakutia in Russia will have to submit a written refusal as of Tuesday in order to avoid the COVID-19 vaccination imposed by the local government. Yakutia is the largest region of Russia by area, with a population of more than 900-thousand people. The head of Yakutia has demanded an increase in vaccination rates across the republic.

According to a press release distributed by the region's administration on Tuesday, those who refuse unjustifiably may not be allowed to work. Local authorities say employers must create conditions that will allow their employees to get vaccinated. Employers who don't may face fines starting from 2,722 US dollars. Authorities claim this isn't an obligatory vaccination, rather they are creating conditions for mass vaccination, and those who decide against will have to sign an "informed refusal". Since May 19, it has been mandatory for certain groups of people in the region, including those over 60, people with chronic diseases and students over the age of 18, to get vaccinated. On Tuesday, Russia recorded 7,884 new coronavirus cases and 393 deaths.