Moscow is lifting its months-long coronavirus lockdown, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said yesterday, declaring that the pandemic was on the wane and it was possible to resume normal life during the course of June.
His comments came shortly after Russia announced a partial reopening of its borders, saying that it would allow people who needed to work, study, get medical treatment or look after relatives to travel abroad for the first time since late March.
“The pandemic has slowly but steadily been on the wane for several weeks,” Sobyanin wrote on his personal blog. “Moscow can practically get back to its usual rhythm of life.”
Russia continues to report thousands of new infections daily.
Its nationwide tally is 476,658, the third-highest in the world, but the number of cases in Moscow, the original epicentre of the virus, has more than halved to around 2,000 a day.
The total number of deaths across the country at 5,971 is much lower than many other countries, which has stirred debate about the way authorities count fatalities.
Officials say the high number is the result of a huge testing campaign, with more than 13mn tests carried out so far, and point to Russia’s relatively low mortality rate as evidence it is safe to ease lockdowns.
Critics have accused authorities of under-reporting deaths and say officials are rushing to lift restrictions for political reasons.
President Vladimir Putin has rescheduled a high-profile World War II military parade in Red Square for June 24 and a vote on constitutional reforms for a week later, on July 1.
The vote, which will clear the way for changes allowing Putin to potentially stay in power beyond his current Kremlin term, was the centrepiece of the longtime leader’s political calendar for this year but had to be postponed from April 22 as coronavirus cases surged.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced the partial border reopening for some travellers on state television.
Foreign citizens needing treatment in Russia or those with close relatives or guardians needing care could also now enter the country, Mishustin said.
Russia closed its borders on March 30 after grounding all international flights and asked citizens to stay at home to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
International flights have yet to fully resume though a decision is expected soon.
Sobyanin set out how the Russian capital would cancel virus curbs, such as a digital pass system for residents and a self-isolation regime, from today with other restrictions to be lifted during June.
Moscow, Russia’s largest city with 12mn people, had been under lockdown since March 30.
Some measures have been gradually lifted over the last few weeks, with non-food retail shops permitted to reopen and residents allowed to go for walks according to a fixed schedule.
Sobyanin  urged caution, saying that the “likelihood of coronavirus infection has decreased, but still exists”.
“We must constantly monitor the situation and prevent a new outbreak,” he said.
Moscow is Russia’s most-affected city with almost 200,000 confirmed cases and 2,970 deaths.
Other parts of Russia have seen emerging clusters of cases, including the Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula, where 24 staff were infected at a children’s home, Interfax news agency reported yesterday.
The region, known for its active volcanoes and spectacular nature, has confirmed 1,168 cases out of a population of just over 300,000.
The number hospitalised in the region at 423 is already higher than the 406 beds prepared for virus patients, according to the regional health ministry’s website.