Moscow reports fourfold decrease in COVID-19 cases in past six weeks

Moscow reports fourfold decrease in COVID-19 cases in past six weeks
# 11 June 2020 03:32 (UTC +04:00)

Moscow managed to contain the surge in coronavirus cases by four times in the past 1.5 months thanks to lockdown restrictions, Moscow’s branch of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog said on Wednesday, APA reports citing TASS.

"Implementation of the anti-epidemic measures has made it possible not only to reach the plateau, but also to achieve a fourfold decrease in novel coronavirus infections in Moscow over the past 1.5 months. However, the disease is asymptomatic in 40% of cases, and those patients pose a risk to others," the statement says.

Nevertheless, although some restrictions have been lifted, Moscow is still on high alert. Therefore, the residents are ordered to abide by anti-epidemic rules and to wear masks and gloves, in particular on public transport, including in taxis, rental cars, but first and foremost, on the subway.

The department pointed out that crowds, growing passenger traffic and the impossibility to keep social distances are likely to turn the Moscow metro system into a high-risk zone of coronavirus spread.

Non-abidance by preventive requirements could spark a rapid spike in new cases. It was possible to lift restrictions thanks to the responsible attitude of citizens, legal entities and individuals, in response to anti-epidemic steps aimed to mitigate the spread of novel coronavirus among the population of Moscow, the watchdog concluded.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 7,336,200 people have been infected worldwide and more than 414,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 3,617,900 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.

To date, 493,657 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 252,783 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 6,358 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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