MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Moscow will launch the third stage of lifting restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus on June 23. Restaurants, gyms and pre-schools will resume operation, while city infrastructure for sports and leisure will also reopen, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Monday in his blog.
"Starting from tomorrow, June 23, 2020, cafes and restaurants will start working again after three months. Gyms, swimming pools and sports complexes will open their doors. <…> Libraries and pre-schools will also be able to work again," he said, adding that navigation on the Moscow River will also resume.
Moreover, social protection facilities also reopen. According to Sobyanin, taking into account the gradual reopening of Russian regions and beginning of the holiday season, Moscow authorities decided to lift limitations on operation of travel agencies. However, Moscow guided tours are still banned.
Social distancing
Moscow residents are still required to social distance and wear face masks and gloves, the mayor said.
"We should observe social distancing as well as [wear] masks and gloves," he wrote. "Believe me, I would also like to lift all remaining restrictions as soon as possible. However, we cannot allow one reckless step to negate the results of many months of fighting against the pandemic."
According to Sobyanin, he is often asked when the habitual way of life will return. "We will still act gradually, based on the analysis of the real situation and forecasts of the pandemic development," he noted. At the same time, "much depends on the coronavirus behavior which scientists still do not understand fully," he added.
"But still much more depends on all of us. Take care of yourself and your close ones. This is the safest and shortest route to victory over the infection," Sobyanin concluded.
Daily hospitalizations
About 500 patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus infection in Moscow a day, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday.
"The average number of hospital admissions has gone down by about 15%, to 501 a day," he wrote on his blog. "The incidence rate of community-acquired pneumonia — the key reason for grave forms of the disease — is also going down."
According to the Moscow mayor, the number of coronavirus patients undergoing treatment at hospitals is down from 8,500 to 7,000. It has made it possible to resume regular work of a number of medical establishments that were converted for coronavirus treatment.
According to the latest update, as many as 215,014 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Moscow by June 22, with 1,068 cases registered during the past day. As many as 136,670 patients have recovered and 3,617 have died, including twenty in the past day.
To date, 592,280 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 344,416 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 8,206 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.
Moscow lockdown
Moscow introduced an alert in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic starting from March 5. Restrictions began to be gradually eased in the middle of May as the situation improved. Industrial facilities, construction sites, integrated centers providing government services, and retail outlets were the first to reopen. On June 9, Moscow canceled lockdown requirements, timetables for daily strolls and public transport passes. Hair dressing salons and veterinary clinics have reopened, restrictions from carsharing and visits to cemeteries have been lifted. Film studios and research centers are operating as usual.
On June 16, it was the turn of dentist clinics, libraries, museums, zoos and sports competitions. Cafes were allowed to reopen outdoor spaces.