Moscow to shut schools, restaurants & non-essential shops for two weeks as Russia again hits grim new record for Covid-19 deaths
The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, has signed into force a new decree ordering employees to stay home, shuttering businesses, educational institutions, and government offices for a fortnight amid a spike in coronavirus cases.
In a statement posted online, Sobyanin said that “the situation in Moscow is in line with the worst-case scenario. In the coming days, we will hit historic peaks in the incidence of Covid-19.”
Between October 28 and November 7, the Russian capital will observe “non-working days.” In practice, “the work of all enterprises and organizations on the territory of the city of Moscow should be suspended, with the exception of organizations that ensure the functioning of the city’s infrastructure, enterprises working on a continuous cycle, and those where activities cannot be terminated.”
Businesses working in trade, services, public catering, sports, culture, recreation, and entertainment will all be required to observe the stoppage. Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to work, but on the basis that they only serve takeout and delivery customers.
Also on rt.com Russia announces fresh national ‘non-working week’ as country reports record number of deaths from Covid-19 since pandemic beganMoscow’s government offices will also close, barring urgent services, and children at the city’s schools and kindergartens will be sent on holiday.
According to Sobyanin, “our experience has shown that non-working days are the most effective way to reduce morbidity and mortality from Covid-19, allowing the chain of infection to be broken in a short period of time.” The mayor went on to say that Muscovites should “take a little rest and help to save the lives and health of many people – then the city can return to normal life.”
The news comes just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree extending a planned national holiday in response to a request from the country’s coronavirus headquarters. Earlier on Thursday, officials reported that 1,036 people had died from the virus within the past 24 hours, and 36,339 cases had been detected. Both the number of fatalities and infections are at their highest level since the start of the pandemic last year.
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