SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 10 December 2024, Tuesday |

Moscow restricts visits to bars, restaurants to curb COVID-19 wave

Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Tuesday that only inoculated people who received a Covid-19 shot will be eligible to enter into bars and restaurants.

The mayor announced new restrictions amid a surge in cases that authorities blame on the new Delta variant.

Russia reported 546 Covid-19 infections related deaths nationwide on Tuesday, the most confirmed in a single day since February. New cases totaled 16,715. Moscow has reported the most cases on a daily basis out of any Russian region throughout the pandemic.

The new restrictions due to take effect on June 28. In order to visit cafes, restaurants or bars, residents will need to present a QR-code showing they have either had the vaccine, had the coronavirus confirmed within the last 6 months or tested negative within the last 3 days, Sobyanin said.

The move comes amid a push by officials to accelerate the slow rate of vaccinations across the country.

Russia has approved four domestically made vaccines, but by June 2, only 18 million of the 144-million population had received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Sobyanin said that more than 2 million Moscow residents had now received at least one vaccine dose and that the number of people who have registered to get a shot has increased significantly.

    Source:
  • Reuters