MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Inspections to assess compliance with anti-coronavirus regulations will continue at cafes, nightclubs and restaurants of Moscow even when QR codes confirming negative coronavirus status are no longer obligatory, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow Alexey Nemeryuk said.

"Starting from Monday, when QR codes are no longer obligatory for cafes and restaurants, all requirements of chief sanitary doctors of Russia and Moscow are to be observed in the same format. <...> Checks will also be carried out on a regular basis," Nemeryuk, who heads the Russian capital’s department of trade and services, said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Friday.

Earlier, Nemeryuk told TASS that facilities that did not join the QR code system will have to comply with all anti-coronavirus requirements, such as measuring body temperature of visitors, placing tables at least 1.5 meters away from each other and making sure that all visitors wear masks and gloves when inside. COVID-free cafes and restaurants that have the QR code system will not have to comply with those requirements.

Starting from July 19, restaurants and cafes will no longer be obligated to only let people in after checking their QR codes which are issued by authorities as proof of vaccination, recovery following a previous infection or a negative PCR test. At the same time, they can choose to maintain the COVID-free regime which allows visitors to avoid masks, gloves and social distancing. These places will now also be able to work at night, while food courts in malls will reopen as well.