A worrying rebound in Covid-19 contaminations in the Russian capital prompted the mayor of Moscow to decree, on Saturday June 12, a week off until June 20.

Objective: to prevent a new surge in coronavirus infections while the vaccination campaign in Russia is stalling.

"This last week, the situation with the spread of the coronavirus has deteriorated markedly, the number of new infections having reached the peaks of last year," Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said in a statement.

Moscow recorded 6,701 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a record for the Russian capital since last December.

"We cannot not react to this situation", underlined Mr. Sobianine.

"To stop the rise in incidence and preserve people's lives, I signed a decree providing for a week off from June 12 to 20," he said.

The mayor of Moscow also ordered the closure of children's play areas in shopping malls and parks until June 20.

He called on employers to favor the teleworking scheme for employees who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, mainly elderly people considered to be more vulnerable.

The mayor has also banned restaurants and bars in the capital from serving customers between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., specifying that only take-out will remain authorized during these hours.

More severely affected young people

Russia recorded 13,510 new cases of coronavirus and 399 deaths on Saturday, with the total number of cases in the country reaching 5,193,964, including 126,073 deaths.

"What is most worrying, the doctors say there are many sick people in serious condition," among them "even young people," Sobyanin said, calling on Muscovites to spend the week off and paid at home or in their second home in the countryside.

Moscow city hall has already announced this week the reopening of field hospitals to accommodate Covid patients.

Saint Petersburg, the second city in the country which will host four Euro football matches from Saturday, has also admitted to being faced with a growth in the number of infections.

Sluggish vaccination campaign

Since December, just 18 million Russians, or around 12% of the population, have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine, according to official figures.

However, according to Russian President Vladimir Poutine, the country "needs 60% (of the population) to be immunized".

"Currently, given the volumes of the vaccine produced in Russia we can vaccinate anyone who wants it, but the problem is that (...) people are wary of such procedures," he said on Saturday, quoted by the Interfax press agency.

"We must be vaccinated more actively," insisted Mr. Sobianin.

"Until we can indeed ensure a mass vaccination, the city will oscillate" between the rise and fall of cases, he warned.

Russia is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic.

According to the public statistics agency Rosstat, more than 270,000 deaths were linked to him at the end of April, more than double the official toll published daily by the government.

With AFP

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