A criminal case was opened in Novgorod due to queues for food packages for pensioners

In Novgorod, a criminal case was opened after pensioners gathered in line for groceries at the local social service center. This was reported by the regional prosecutor's office.

According to the department, the case was opened under Part 1 of Article 236 of the Criminal Code (violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules, which through negligence resulted in mass disease of people or created a threat of such consequences). Who exactly initiated the case is not specified.

As stated in the message, on May 8, one of the center’s leaders wrote on VKontakte that local residents over 65 years of age “who are in difficult life situations” could receive food packages. This led to “mass gatherings of people amid the spread of coronavirus.”

7×7 writes that on that day from 10 to 50 townspeople came to the center to get the kits. The products could be delivered to their homes, but the pensioners were unable to reach the center and leave a request, so they decided to come in person.

“They say you could always get through by phone, but today the phone was busy all morning. I don’t know why, maybe they picked up the phone. There is a sign on the door: "Quarantine." “This notice was only put up today,” one of the townspeople complained.