Update – 28.05.2020

May 28, 2020

RUSSIA

On Thursday, May 28^th, Russia recorded 8,371 new cases of coronavirus in 85 Russian regions, raising the official number of positive results to 379,051, with 4,142 dead. 42,5% of infected Russians had no clinical symptoms of the disease. The majority of new COVID-19 cases (2,054) were registered in Moscow, raising the total number of Muscovites with confirmed COVID-19 to 173,497. In the meantime, a total number of 150,993 Russian patients are known to have recovered from coronavirus. Russia is now the 3^rd most-affected country in the world in terms of confirmed cases, after the USA and Brazil.

On Wednesday, May 27^th, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin extended the regime of self-isolation until June 14^th. Since June 1^st, the mask regime will be tightened. When stepping out onto the street, people will need to wear a mask, including when they are engaging in sports. Gloves will also need to be used in public transport, at work, in shops, pharmacies and any other institutions.

On Wednesday, May 27^th, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the easing of lockdown restrictions, beginning June 1^st:
- From June 1^st until June 14^th, Muscovites will be able to leave their apartments without a digital pass, for walks and sports in accordance with the schedule which will be published on the Moscow government website and on Yandex.Maps.service.
- Non-food stores, dry cleaners and workshops, as well as car dealerships, are opening. Only a limited number of visitors at any one time will be allowed to enter shopping centres in Moscow.
- Hospitals will start a gradual return to providing routine medical care.

On Wednesday, May 27^th, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Moscow’s Mayor Sobyanin to support the regions and send teams of Moscow medical workers there. First of all, to Dagestan, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, as well as the Trans-Baikal Territory. Sergei Sobyanin ensured the dispatch of medicines and medical teams from Moscow to the regions to combat coronavirus. The first crews were dispatched on Wednesday (May 27^th) and Thursday (May 28^th).

On Monday, May 25^thAeroflot Group announced the gradual re-start of operations in June. At this initial stage, the air carrier will focus on the resumption of domestic routes. From June 1st, Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary, Pobeda, will resume its flights around Russia.

As reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, international organized tourism is likely to be re-launched for Russians in September 2020. The forecast was announced by ATOR’s Executive Director, Maia Lomidze, with respect to charter flights. At the same time, there is a possibility that regular flights will be opened earlier in the summer, allowing Russians to travel by themselves as individual travellers.

On Thursday, May 28^th, Kazakhstan recorded 272 new cases of coronavirus, raising the official number of positive cases to 9 576 with 37 dead.

On Monday, May 25^th, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Eral Tugzhanov announced: starting from June 1^st, in compliance with strict sanitary standards, hotels, sanatorium and recreation complexes of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, as well as resorts, medical and recreational facilities across regions will start to work.

On Friday, May 22^nd, The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development announced the resumption of regular domestic flights at all airports in Kazakhstan starting from May 25^th. All flights will be carried out in conditions of increased sanitary safety measures. This includes the mandatory use of masks, gloves, thermometry, social distancing before boarding, enhanced disinfection of airports and aircrafts.

On Thursday, May 28^th, Ukraine recorded 477 new cases of coronavirus, raising the official number of positive results to 22 382, with 669 dead.

On Wednesday, May 27^th, Minister of Health Maxim Stepanov announced that, starting from June 15^th, Ukraine resumes international flights in accordance with the quarantine exit plan. However, Ukrainians will need to be in self-isolation for 14 days after returning home.

On Tuesday, May 26^th, Stepanov announced some mitigation measures to bring the economy back to normal:
- Starting June 1^st, pools and gyms will open and interregional transport will resume
- Starting from June 10^th, the fully-fledged operations of restaurants and cafes will begin, with visitors allowed in the halls, if the epidemic situation does not get worse
- Attending educational classes in groups of no more than 10 people will be possible, starting from June 1^st. For example, driving schools will begin work
- Starting from June 1^st, rail transport and inter-regional road transport will begin.

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