Russia announces closure of all cafes, parks to curb coronavirus spread

In a bid to protect the people from stepping out of their house and stay indoors amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Moscow government has ordered the closure of all the cafes, shops, parks, and other non-essential services for one week starting March 28, its mayor said on March 26, in an unprecedented move to fight the virus. President Vladimir Putin on March 25 announced a non-working week from March 28 to April 5 to keep Russians at home. But the measures imposed by Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin take the President’s measures a step further.

'Closure not to be considered a vacation'

Sobyanin had already ordered Muscovites aged over 65 to stay home starting March 26 but stopped short of ordering a strict quarantine. In a statement on his website, the mayor clarified that these closures are not supposed to be considered a holiday or vacation for all, but, a serious measure to curb and prevent COVID-19. 

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All cafes and restaurants must stop admitting customers and may only deliver food or prepare orders to go, according to the decree. Stores selling non-essential items must close, as well as beauty salons and spas. Moscow’s parks will also shut. The mayor first hinted at the new measures in a televised interview on March 25 evening, saying that there will be nothing to do in Moscow from next week. The restrictions ordered on March 25 are unprecedented in Moscow’s modern history and will create many inconveniences, said Sobyanin in his message on March 26.

He also added that all these precautionary steps are absolutely necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus infection and decrease the number of the ill. He also said Russians from other regions to put off travel to the capital. Meanwhile, Moscow registered two coronavirus-linked deaths on Wednesday, the first nationally. A total of 840 cases have been recorded nationwide, according to official statistics on March 26.

Halt all International flights

Apart from the measures to shut down all public spaces, the government earlier has also ordered halting all international flights from midnight from March 27 under its decree listing new measures against the coronavirus outbreak. The decree published on March 26 orders aviation authorities to halt all regular and charter flights, with the exception of special flights evacuating Russian citizens from abroad. Russia's civil aviation agency Rosaviatsiya will halt "regular and charter air travel from Russian airports to airports of foreign states and back," according to the decree published on the government's website. The grounding starts at midnight Friday, or 2100 GMT March 26.

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