Moscow to reintroduce lockdown measures as COVID-19 cases, deaths soar

Moscow: Moscow will reintroduce COVID-19 related lockdown measures from Oct. 28, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Thursday, with supermarkets and pharmacies the only shops allowed to stay open in an effort to cut soaring infection numbers and deaths.

The decision follows a statement from President Vladimir Putin a day earlier who approved a nationwide week-long workplace shutdown from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 and said regional leaders could introduce other measures at their discretion.

Russia on Thursday reported 1,036 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours as well as 36,339 new infections, both a record daily high since the pandemic began.