MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Russia has made a brave decision to lift a number of COVID-19 restrictive measures, taking into account the efforts to inform the population about the course of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Russia Melita Vujnovic said in an interview with RBC published on Friday.

"The epidemiological situation shows a decrease [in the infection rate]. This is a brave decision to lift the restrictions, and at the same time, a lot has been done to inform people, to make them understand that the pandemic has not gone away and that we can overcome it together even in the more relaxed regime," she said.

The WHO envoy said that lifting the restrictions helps boost the economy and alleviates the psychological pressure on the population. "However, if the epidemiological situation deteriorates, the restrictions must return," she stressed.

On February 4, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Moscow might lift the bulk of COVID-19 restrictions by May. He added that it is too early to hold mass events in Moscow so far, and that senior residents and people from high-risk groups still must self-isolate.