Sharjah24 – AFP: Moscow, the capital of Europe's worst Covid-hit nation, will shut non-essential services between October 28 and November 7 as deaths soar and vaccination rates stall in the country, the city's mayor said Thursday.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the 11-day closure a day after President Vladimir Putin ordered a nationwide paid week off at the end of the month to curb fast spreading infections.
Russia reported 1,036 Covid-19 deaths in a single day Thursday, but officials have warned the worst is yet to come, with only 35 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
Putin will have no in-person meetings during the non-working period, the Kremlin said.
Authorities have previously gone to great lengths to protect the 69-year-old, who the Kremlin says is fully vaccinated.
In Russia's capital and the epicentre of its outbreak, Sobyanin said all non-essential retail, sporting and entertainment venues must temporarily close. Shops selling food, medicine and other essentials will remain open.
Restaurants and cafes will be able to sell take-away food, the mayor said in a statement.
Mass events will be banned and schools will be closed, with the days off coinciding with national school holidays. Theatres and museums can stay open, but entry will be allowed only with QR codes.
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