MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The Moscow authorities will additionally allocate more than 960 million rubles ($12.5 mln) to combat the new coronavirus infection, the press service of the city Mayor and the government of Moscow told TASS on Tuesday.

"Over 960 million rubles will be additionally allocated for measures to counter the new coronavirus infection. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin signed a relevant resolution of the Moscow government," the press service said.

They clarified that these funds will be used to finance the provision of assistance in reserve hospitals and observation facilities (food, security, cleaning of premises, sterilization of waste, purchase of primary tools, consumables, laundry, dry cleaning and replacement of bed linen, other expenses); additional cash payments to specialists (assistants) in nursing homes and psycho-neurological institutions transferred to a continuous (shift) mode of work; reimbursement of travel expenses for medical personnel and delivery of equipment, medicines and protective equipment.

On September 3, Deputy Mayor of the capital, Vladimir Efimov said that Moscow had spent about 300 billion rubles ($3.9 bln) on combating the coronavirus, in particular on the purchase of medicines and equipment for hospitals. On November 16, during a meeting of the Moscow City Duma Commission on Healthcare and Public Health, the head of the Moscow Healthcare Department, Alexei Khripun, said that the draft budget of the Moscow Healthcare Department in 2021 provides for about 11 billion rubles ($144 mln) to fight the coronavirus.