Russian police officers patrol a deserted Red square in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow as the capital and other parts of Russia go into lockdown to curb the novel coronavirus.
Russian police officers patrol a deserted Red square in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow as the capital and other parts of Russia go into lockdown to curb the novel coronavirus. AFP / Dimitar DILKOFF

KEY POINTS

  • Moscow's mayor has placed a citywide quarantine amid the outbreak of COVID-19
  • People have been encouraged to practice self-isolation at home to control the spread of the virus
  • Only those with important business to attend to will be allowed to travel outside of their homes

Moscow has been placed under a citywide quarantine as residents are ordered to stay inside their homes. The coronavirus pandemic has reached the Russian capital and it has not shown any signs of slowing down.

Mayor Sergey Sobyanin released a statement where he said there is a “great concern” for their citizens based on what has been happening in Europe and the U.S., US News reported. He cited these facts as justification for the quarantine. He signed a decree last Sunday which also added measures meant to control the spread of COVID-19 within the city.

This quarantine is similar to the one being used by most of Italy. The country has been the hardest hit among European countries. Health officials, meanwhile, reported 1,830 cases of coronavirus-positive people in Russia, with the death toll at 9. Moscow has about 1,000 of these cases.

So far, residents have been required to self-isolate in their homes, similar to how it had been done in COVID-19-hit countries. They will only be able to leave their homes for essential chores like buying food, getting treated medically, taking out the garbage, or walking their pets. Those who are required to report to their jobs will still be allowed to travel.

Moscow has stricter penalties than most other countries, according to Reuters. Those who will be caught violating quarantine measures could face five years in jail. These also include people who will not be self-isolating for two weeks if they are coming back from countries that have a similar outbreak.

The Moscow city hall made it clear which persons should self-isolate. Those returning from trips to Italy, China, South Korea, France, Iran, Germany and Spain should isolate at home for 14 days. Authorities have said that this is especially encouraged if they start showing “unfavorable” signs of the dreaded virus.

The mayor said that they will impose a “smart system of monitoring compliance” with the new rules for isolation and travel. The government, meanwhile, is mulling the implementation of a special pass, meant for citizens with important businesses requiring them to leave their homes.

Russia has said it will close its borders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus
Russia has said it will close its borders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus AFP / Alexander NEMENOV
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