MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Inoculation against the coronavirus for additional categories of residents which will open in Moscow on December 21 will involve about 1 mln people, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on Friday.

"The vaccination against COVID-19 is gradually gaining momentum. The city receives additional batches of a vaccine. The construction of production facilities for Sputnik V in Technopolis Moscow is nearing completion. Due to that, beginning on Monday, we are opening registration for the inoculation of new categories of Moscow residents. These are transport, energy, industrial workers as well as staff of media outlets," the Mayor wrote in his blog.

"In all, it is about 1 mln Moscow residents who can now protect themselves against COVID and decrease the risk of infection for their relatives and colleagues," he specified.

Earlier, the mayor expressed hope that during the next few weeks the inoculation would become accessible to all residents of the capital. Currently, the vaccination is open to workers in the spheres of education, healthcare, culture, retail, staff of multifunctional centers of state services, social workers.

Moscow authorities plan to inoculate against the coronavirus 6-7 mln people. Additionally, an issue of incentives for those inoculated may be considered. According to the mayor, after being vaccinated the residents may return to living without restrictions.

The vaccination against the coronavirus in Moscow was launched on December 5, during the period before December 17 about 15,000 people were inoculated. The electronic registration is accessible at the mos.ru portal two weeks in advance. The vaccination stations are open daily from 08:00 to 20:00. In all, 70 vaccination stations are open in the city.