MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) is lifting restrictions imposed throughout the country due to the COVID pandemic, the department's press service told reporters on Friday.
"Due to the continuing decline in the epidemic’s intensity, Rospotrebnadzor has suspended the previously imposed restrictions, including the mask mandates, bans on nighttime operations of public catering and a number of other measures. If the situation with COVID-19 worsens, these restrictive measures may come back into effect," the service stated.
The Russian sanitary watchdog says that over the last four months, "a steady decline in the intensity of the COVID-19 epidemic" has been recorded in the Russian Federation. Thus, the weekly incidence rate has dropped by more than 64 times: from a maximum of 907.6 in mid-February to the current 14.06. It is currently at its lowest since the onset of the pandemic. The dynamics of the infection rate and the average daily increase in new cases also indicate a decline in the intensity of the epidemic, the press service said.
The federal watchdog also reported that almost all confirmed COVID cases in Russia are either mild or asymptomatic. "A steady drop in the incidence of the disease is observed in all age groups. Almost all confirmed cases (93%) are mild (pass as an acute respiratory illness) or asymptomatic," the report said.
Meanwhile, the dynamics of COVID-19 epidemic in Russia are in line with global trends. The nation’s sanitary watchdog recalled that taking into account a significant decrease in the disease incidence and circulation patterns of the Omicron strain, "since March 1, restrictions were minimized for various sectors of the economy and a number of anti-epidemic measures were canceled in educational institutions and other social infrastructure facilities for children and young people."
The federal sanitary agency also pointed out that substantiated lifting of restrictions was carried out scientifically, "in stages, in a differentiated manner, taking into account the dynamics of the epidemiological situation" and it did not lead to negative changes in the trends of the epidemic’s development in Russia. According to the watchdog’s scientific experts, "a significant increase in the disease incidence caused by the Omicron variant is unlikely in the summer months".
Details of the decision
At the same time, in accordance with the decree of Russia's chief sanitary doctor Anna Popova, "anti epidemic measures are being maintained for the timely detection of cases and measures that ensure the monitoring of the epidemic process." The situation remains under the watchdog’s strict control.
In January 2020 in Russia, the federal anti-coronavirus crisis center, with Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova at the helm, was created to prevent the emergence and spread of the coronavirus infection nationwide. The government set up a hotline to inform people about the COVID situation in Russia.
Due to the threat of the spread of the disease, the heads of Russian regions decided to introduce a high alert regime. As a result, by the end of March 2020, all 85 regions of the country were placed under restrictions. As of today, the corresponding regime has been cancelled in many regions.