Potential Lockdown for Moscow Amidst Rising Coronavirus Cases: Possible Isolation Ahead
In a startling turn of events, Russia's capital, Moscow, shattered its autumn COVID-19 case record yesterday. Over a thousand new cases were reported - a figure not seen since late June. Daily hospitalizations in the city have surged by around 30%, as per Almaty.tv and BBC.com.
In response to this uptick, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin is sending official letters to over 5,000 companies, urging them to transition back to remote work. Boris Bulaev, deputy head of the mayor's press service, revealed this information on Thursday. He explained that the move is an attempt to "minimize human contact as much as possible" given the current situation.
Moscow authorities are contemplating reimposing restrictions for senior citizens and those with pre-existing health conditions. However, they have no plans to reintroduce the pass system.
It's essential to point out that, although Russia officially lifted all public COVID-19 restrictions as of May 2025, Moscow and other cities have temporarily imposed limitations on mobile internet access and transportation. These restrictions, however, are unrelated to the pandemic, instead being a response to heightened security concerns prior to the significant Victory Day celebrations. In essence, there are currently no active COVID-19 restrictions in Moscow[1].
As of now, the restrictions in place pertain to security measures for public events, not pandemic control[1][2].
Sobyanin, the Moscow mayor, advised over 5,000 companies to reinstate remote work in response to the rising COVID-19 cases in Moscow. He told this to the companies in official letters on Thursday. In an attempt to minimize human contact, this move was made considering the current epidemiological situation. The city authorities are also considering reimposing restrictions for senior citizens and those with pre-existing health conditions, but they have no plans to reintroduce the pass system. It's worth noting that although Russia officially lifted all public COVID-19 restrictions in May 2025, there are currently no active COVID-19 restrictions in Moscow, with the restrictions in place mainly focusing on security measures for public events, not pandemic control.
