Azerbaijan pays $4.5m to medical workers fighting COVID-19
By Ayya Lmahamad
Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance has paid urgent supplements worth nearly AZN 7.7 million ($4.5M) and AZN 1.1 million ($650,000) to medical and non-medical workers, respectively, involved in the fight against coronavirus in July-August 2021.
The agency also paid AZN 4.6 million ($2.7M) during this specified period to medical workers of private medical institutions involved in measures to combat coronavirus infection.
Volunteers were paid bonuses in the amount of AZN 7,500 ($4,410), or more precisely AZN 250 ($147) per month each.
It should be noted that the agency continues to pay allowances for July and August.
The payment of urgent salary increases for medical workers involved in the fight against COVID-19 has been extended until November 1, by the decision of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Azerbaijan confirmed its first COVID-19 case on February 28, 2020. The country introduced a special quarantine regime on March 25 and took a number of measures to fight COVID-19 in the country.
The nationwide vaccination is free and on a voluntary basis and is in line with the “Strategy of vaccination against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan for 2021-2022”.
The country started vaccinating citizens using China’s Sinovac on January 18, Vaxzevria vaccine produced by AstraZeneca on May 3, Russia’s Sputnik V on May 18 and U.S-produced Pfizer on June 7. The country started offering COVID-19 vaccination to citizens aged over 18 from May 10.
At the same time, as of August 9, Azerbaijan started issuing vaccination exemption certificates for citizens with contraindications to coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the country.
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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
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