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Russia reopens cafes, theaters as Covid situation improves but masks still mandatory

16 February 2021 17:08 (UTC +04:00)

Paces of COVID-19 spread are going down in most Russian regions, which allows authorities to ease restrictions by reopening theaters, cinemas, extending working hours of cafes and restaurants, while some regions plan to lift most restrictions in the coming weeks, APA reports citing TASS.

For instance, Moscow that came to become the main cluster of the epidemic can lift most restrictions already by May, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. On Monday, he voiced hope that the city would be able to hold mass events and festivals as normal soon.

The Moscow Region, ranking third in the country in the number of infections, eased almost all lockdown measures, Governor Andrei Vorobyov underlined. In particular, the authorities reopened clubs and discos for residents on February 8.

St. Petersburg (second place in cases in Russia) authorities are also slowly rolling back the pandemic measures. On January 30, restraints and cafes were given a greenlight to work at night, while food courts and food places have also been able to welcome visitors if they are operating at 50% capacity. The city authorities also cleared theaters and concert halls to sell up to 75% of tickets.