Photo: https://www.mk.ru/
The public holidays in Russia will be followed by non-working days due to the worsening epidemiological situation: Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin has signed the decree providing for days off from June 15 to June 19 with pay for employees.
Muscovites will have a weeklong holiday from June 12 till June 20. Employers are urged to switch at least a third of the staff to remote work, in the first place those who have not been vaccinated. Essential employees may be an exception. These measures do not yet apply to the organizations that are critical to the city's infrastructure or enterprises of the defense industry, Rosatom, Roscosmos, and some other strategically important industries.
The partial lockdown came hard on heels of the surge in coronavirus infection cases in the Moscow region. "It particularly applies to the elderly over 65 years old and people with chronic diseases who have not been yet vaccinated," the Moscow mayor said. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Town Hall’s decision to introduce the so-called “long weekend” with new restrictions due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases was "within its authority."
As of June 16, 2021, there were 5,249,990 COVID-19 cases in Russia. Over the past 24 hours, the number of the infected has increased by 13,397.
Russia’s COVID-19 death toll has exceeded 127,576 with 396 deaths recorded on June 16.
There are 293,914 people in the active phase of the disease. The fatality rate is 2.43%. Confirmed cases of complete recovery from the novel coronavirus in Russia as of June 16, 2021 have reached 4,828,500.
As for statistics on the spread of COVID-19 in Moscow, there were 1,253,894 confirmed cases as of June 16, 2021; 21,125 people died. As many as 1,102,979
people fully recovered from COVID-19. The fatality rate as of June 16 is 1.70%. On June 11, 6,701 COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Moscow, the highest number since the beginning of the year.
The headquarters for combating the novel coronavirus infection reported a significant increase in the number of new cases in the Russian capital. Town Hall said that hospitals would add more beds.
Deputy mayor for social development Anastasia Rakova said that the infection rate has increased exponentially to 70% from the previous week, while the number of hospital admissions has grown by 30%. According to Rakova, 407 patients in Moscow hospitals currently receive invasive ventilation.
From 13 to 20 June, city authorities will close the children's playrooms and food courts in shopping centers and other similar organizations. As for bars, cafes and restaurants, as well as nightclubs, karaoke, bowling, discos, and other entertainment venues, they will not serve customers, except for takeaway service), from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. In natural areas and large city parks, children's and sports playgrounds, attractions, rentals, summerhouses, and other recreational facilities will be closed. In fact, parks will be opened only to walkers.
Moscow set a 4,000-ruble fine ($55.60) for being in a store without a face mask and gloves, and a fine of 5,000 rubles ($69.50) for violation of the rules in public transport for each detected fact. It also tightened control over the compliance with the face-masks regime in public places on June 9 as the epidemiological situation worsened. A total of 10,000 people have been fined for being without a face mask on public transport this month.
Sobyanin underlined that the "long weekend" would help cope with the COVID-19 surge only if "each of us" exercised maximum caution during these days. He called for sweeping vaccination. "The city will be in continuous fever until we have provided mass vaccination. All vaccination centers will work on weekends, please visit them," the mayor said.