Moscow, the first focus of the new coronavirus epidemic in Russia, will end the confinement imposed on the population on June 9 since the end of March, the city mayor announced on Monday.
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" As of tomorrow, the confinement and the pass system will be lifted, " said Sergei Sobianin in a video posted on Facebook, welcoming that " Moscow is returning to its usual rhythm of life ." The mayor of the city has specified a calendar extending until the end of June for the reopening of personal services, public and leisure places. Hairdressers and beauty salons will reopen on Tuesday, museums and café and restaurant terraces will reopen on June 16, while gyms and swimming pools will welcome visitors again on June 23.
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As part of a prudent deconfinement, Moscow had already reopened on June 1 non-food businesses, shopping centers and parks. Walks were also allowed to Muscovites according to a complicated and little-respected system of time slots. These new relaxations come as Russia recorded Monday 8,985 new cases of coronavirus and 112 deaths in the last 24 hours. For Moscow alone, 2,001 new infections were recorded.
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" For several weeks now, slowly but surely, the pandemic has been in decline, " said Mr. Sobianin to justify the deconfinement, emphasizing in particular that " more people leave hospitals than are admitted ". The end of these restrictions is also to be linked to the military parade of June 24 in commemoration of the Soviet victory over the Nazis. It should have taken place on May 9 but the Kremlin had to reluctantly resolve to postpone it because of the epidemic.
A week later, on July 1, will take place the great constitutional referendum wanted by Vladimir Putin, initially planned for April but also postponed. The reform brought by the Kremlin must notably allow the Russian president to remain in power until 2036.
