After his joke about coronavirus, social network users urge Kadyrov to become serious

The joking statement of the head of Chechnya that he had survived the coronavirus caused criticism of social network users. Residents of the republic have criticized authorities' actions amid the pandemic and deficit of medical masks and a rise in foodstuff prices.

In total, ten people are sick with coronavirus in Chechnya.

The republic's authorities have expanded the range of measures to prevent the spread of infection, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the office of the Chechen head and the government.

Ramzan Kadyrov called on residents of the republic to refuse even from visiting relatives.

"In words, they do everything to avoid an epidemic, but in reality the picture is different. There are no medical masks in pharmacies; and where they are, they sell them at exorbitant prices ... Prices for certain foodstuffs have gone up – for garlic, ramson (wild garlic) and ginger, which help to prevent colds," said Kheda, a local resident.

Isa, a resident of the republic, said that he would not be able to observe the quarantine regime, since he needed to maintain his family.

Alexei Makarkin, the first vice-president of the Centre for Political Technologies, has doubted the efficiency of the reaction of the Chechen authorities to the coronavirus. "Many European countries have introduced strict quarantine, but no one is encroaching there on people's fundamental rights and freedoms. Therefore, threats of murder are simply impossible there," he said.

However, Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, believes that the statements of the head of Chechnya about the murder should be interpreted as a "figurative expression", and not as a threat to those infected.