Update – 03.04.2020

April 3, 2020

On Friday April 3^rd Russia recorded 601 new cases of coronavirus, raising the official number of positive results to 4,149, with 34 dead. The majority of new COVID-19 cases (448) were registered in Moscow. In the meantime, a total of 281 Russian patients are known to have recovered from coronavirus (168 in Moscow).

As from this past Monday (March 27^th) Moscow enacted a citywide quarantine: now those living in Moscow can leave home to go to work (if they are required to), make purchases in the nearby food store or pharmacy, walk the dog (within 100 meters of their door), take out trash, go to a hospital or get urgent medical care. The self-isolation order is applied to all residents regardless of age. Libraries, theatres, recreational centres, gyms, nightclubs and all shops (except for pharmacies and grocery stores) are closed.

On April 2^nd President Vladimir Putin announced an extension of the nationwide “non-working week” until April 30^th following a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. Speaking in a televised address, he added that he would delegate the decision-making power on anti-coronavirus measures to regional authorities, given the regional differences in infection rates.

To date, the authorities of 78 out of 85 Russian regions have introduced a self-isolation policy. The Republic of Chechnya will close its internal borders and airspace on April 5^th, becoming the first Russian region which imposes severe limits on resident’s movements. Residents will be able to leave the region only in case of emergency.

Moscow officials are launching an app to monitor coronavirus patients’ compliance with home isolation. It requires access to geolocation, calls, and device settings. On April 2^nd, the Moscow Mayor’s Office launched a mobile app named “Social Monitoring” designed for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms recovering at home. After installing the app, police will start monitoring self-isolation compliance by people diagnosed with coronavirus. The app will send push notifications to verify users’ locations.

Russia has earmarked almost $18 billion to tackle the coronavirus spread and its economic consequences, Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, told President Vladimir Putin during an online video conference. He stated that the new measures aim to support employment and small-medium-sized companies. The Russian government has approved tax breaks and eased regulatory requirements for companies that are suffering from the COVID-19 crisis, including restaurants and cafes, the whole tourism sector, cultural organizations, cinemas and the sporting sector.

On March 28^th, the Government of Russia issued a news statement stipulating that all Russian regional resorts should stop accepting tourists between March 28^th to June 1^st 2020. These measures were implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are aimed at supporting the Governments’ initiatives introduced to ensure the safety of Russian people.

In support of the “stayhome” initiative and Russians who had to cancel their trips, S7 airlines have launched a loyalty programme called “Fly at home” – giving bonus miles to those who stay home. Participants have to register on S7 Priority club, and record each day that they stay at home. For one day spent at home, the air carrier will give 100 miles. S7 airlines have also confirmed that all miles accumulated by its clients by March 2020 will be saved until 2021.

Russian airports have reported a 60% decrease in operations compared to 2019. This reflects the general situation in 32 leading Russian airports.

Who we are