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AFP
Moscow
Moscow, with its more than 12 million people, went into lockdown on Monday while other parts of Russia moved to introduce similar steps to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
The enforcement of the strict new rules, which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin suddenly announced late Sunday, coincided with the beginning of a “non-working” week declared by President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation is certainly serious and everyone should take this very seriously,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Moscow, which has become the epicentre of the contagion in Russia, announced the new measures after many Muscovites failed to heed recommendations to self-isolate and instead went to parks for barbecues at the weekend.
On Monday, Red Square in the heart of Moscow was eerily empty, while the streets of Europe’s most populous city were quiet even though traffic could still be seen on the roads.
Patriarch Ponds, a popular central park, was deserted in the morning except for a lone woman walking her corgi. Police cars drove slowly through the streets, looking out for Muscovites breaking the rules.
Over the past 24 hours Russia has recorded 302 new cases -- the biggest daily increase so far -- taking the national tally to 1,835 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
Moscow
Moscow, with its more than 12 million people, went into lockdown on Monday while other parts of Russia moved to introduce similar steps to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
The enforcement of the strict new rules, which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin suddenly announced late Sunday, coincided with the beginning of a “non-working” week declared by President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation is certainly serious and everyone should take this very seriously,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Moscow, which has become the epicentre of the contagion in Russia, announced the new measures after many Muscovites failed to heed recommendations to self-isolate and instead went to parks for barbecues at the weekend.
On Monday, Red Square in the heart of Moscow was eerily empty, while the streets of Europe’s most populous city were quiet even though traffic could still be seen on the roads.
Patriarch Ponds, a popular central park, was deserted in the morning except for a lone woman walking her corgi. Police cars drove slowly through the streets, looking out for Muscovites breaking the rules.
Over the past 24 hours Russia has recorded 302 new cases -- the biggest daily increase so far -- taking the national tally to 1,835 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
