Moscow drops vaccination proof demand for restaurant clients

Moscow: Authorities in the Russian capital on Friday canceled their order for restaurants to only admit customers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, recovered from the coronavirus or can produce a negative test.

The softening of restrictions reflects their devastating impact on restaurant owners, who pleaded with city officials to rescind them. The decision comes even as the capital is continuing to see a surge in infections and Russia registered a new daily record of coronavirus deaths Friday. The move announced by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin takes effect Monday. It retracts the measure that has been in place since late June, obliging restaurants and cafes to check if customers have been vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months or tested negative for the coronavirus in the previous 72 hours.