Moscow Mayor: Pandemic on the Decline, Restaurants Open Longer

The Russian capital Moscow is loosening corona policy even further. Restaurants and catering establishments may also reopen in the late evening, and at night, mayor Sergej Sobjanin announced.

Rules regarding working from home are also being dropped according to news site The Moscow Times.

In the municipality with approximately 12 million inhabitants, these restrictions had been in force since the autumn. Companies had to let 30 percent of their staff work from home. Catering establishments, nightclubs and similar businesses were ordered to close their doors between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The mayor says the relaxation is possible because it is going in the right direction with the fight against the virus.

The number of infections is rising less speedily than before. “The pandemic is on its way back”, says Sobjanin. He calls it his duty “to create the conditions under which the economy can recover as quickly as possible”.

Russia has reported 3.7 million corona infections, the highest number globally after the US, India and Brazil. The Russian authorities have already given the green light for the use of two homegrown vaccines. The aim is to vaccinate tens of millions of Russians in the coming months.