MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. The Russian government will start gradually lifting restrictions on domestic tourism from June 1, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said on Monday.
"The safe and controlled launch of domestic tourism in the first half of summer is, of course, a priority for us. From June 1, the Russian government will start easing restrictions systemically and accurately," the vice-premier said at a government meeting on the prospects of reopening the tourism industry.
"At the first stage, health resorts with the medical license will be opened. Along with that, the government is working on the rules of further reopening the tourist industry: hotels, resorts, beaches, cruises and so on," the deputy prime minister said.
Before June 1, the Russian government will publish recommendations that will be prepared by the consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor and the Federal Agency for Tourism, the vice-premier said.
"This will help the industry understand those rules [within which] they [companies] will carry out their activity amid the new reality and the timeframe when they can reopen," the deputy prime minister said.
Risks of second wave
Meanwhile risks of another wave of the coronavirus infection in Russia are still high, Dmitry Chernyshenko stressed. "We know that the risks of another wave are in place. Both medics and specialists say that. These risks are still high."
To date, a total of 353,427 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 118,798 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 3,633 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.