MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Russia’s coronavirus reproduction rate dropped to 0.87 on Thursday, the lowest number since the beginning of the pandemic, according to TASS estimates based on the anti-coronavirus crisis center’s data.

In Moscow, it dropped to 0.77, which is the lowest figure since January 23.

The COVID-19 reproduction number is less than 1 in all ten regions with the highest numbers of coronavirus cases. It stands at 0.99 in the Arkhangelsk, Voronezh and the Irkutsk regions and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It equals 0.98 in the Rostov Region, 0.97 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 0.85 in the Sverdlovsk Region and 0.93 in the Moscow Region.

In St. Petersburg, that number dropped from 0.66 to 0.62.

The coronavirus reproduction rate shows the number of people one patient can infect before being isolated. Along with other criteria, it was used to define the regions’ readiness for a step-by-step removal of restrictions imposed last spring to combat the epidemic. Now this rate is used, in particular, to make decisions on resuming regular passenger service with other countries.

According to the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing’s recommendations, the borders with a particular country may be opened if the coronavirus reproduction number there is less than 1 for a week.