Russia has not stopped breaking records of deaths and infections of coronavirus in 24 hours.
The Moscow mayor’s office on Thursday ordered the closure for eleven days from October 28 of all its non-essential services, in an attempt to control the dramatic wave of covid-19 that affects Russia and caused another record of deaths.
The epidemic is also hitting Ukraine and Latvia hard, which have the worst rate of covid-19 infections in the world, so their authorities also decided to impose restrictions.
For weeks, Russia has not stopped breaking records of deaths and infections in 24 hours, a hecatomb fueled by the low vaccination rate and a late response from the authorities.
But, in recent days, the government announced its first concrete measures, such as the introduction of the health passport or the reinforcement of teleworking.
President, Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered a non-working week in early November across Russia.
In Moscow, the main focus of the epidemic in the country, the mayor, Sergei Sobianin, followed in the footsteps of the president and on Thursday ordered that most of the companies suspend their activity from October 28 to November 7.
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The places of “sale of medicines, food products and basic necessities” will be exempt from this regulation, according to a message published on its blog.
“Experience shows us that non-working days are the most effective way to reduce the number of cases and deaths, since they allow a maximum number of chains of infections to be broken in a short time”Sobianin said.
During those eleven days, the theaters and museums will be able to continue operating with a capacity of 50%, as long as the visitors have a health passport.
In addition, as of November 8, the health pass will be mandatory to attend all events of more than 500 people in Moscow.
Death records
Moscow, like the rest of Russia, is being hit by the worst epidemic wave of covid-19 since the pandemic began, favored by the delta variant, more contagious, and by the disregard that many citizens make of distancing measures and the use of a mask, especially in stores and on public transport.
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On Thursday, the country broke a new record for infections and deaths in 24 hours, with 1,036 deaths and 36,339 cases.
The Russian government has reported, to date, some 227,389 deaths from covid-19, an underestimated balance according to the national statistics agency Rosstat, which ensures that the figure exceeded 400,000 deaths at the end of August.
The vaccination campaign, meanwhile, is advancing at forced marches. According to the specialized site Gogov, less than a third of the population is vaccinated.
But the public powers continue to refuse to impose confinement measures or curfews, concerned not to weigh down the fragile economic reactivation.
Records and restrictions also in Ukraine and Latvia
Ukraine also broke a record for coronavirus infections and deaths on Thursday, with 22,145 new cases and 546 deaths, prompting the government to reinstate restrictions.
According to the government, only 19% of the general population is reluctant to get vaccinated – they have the full schedule. However, since measures were imposed in areas severely hit by covid-19, such as the obligation to present a vaccination certificate to enter public spaces such as schools and theaters, the rate of immunization has accelerated.
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And in Latvia, to tackle the worst rate of COVID-19 infections in the world, the government imposed a new lockdown and ordered the closure of “non-essential” shops, cinemas, theaters and hairdressers.
The Baltic country registered 1,406 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, that is, the highest per capita rate in the world, as of October 20, according to an AFP calculation.
Its authorities have also encountered the skepticism of the population regarding the vaccine, and only half of Lithuanians are vaccinated, presenting one of the lowest vaccination rates in the European Union. (I)
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