Most regions of Russia introduced ‘Recommended Restrictive Measures’ due to the situation with coronavirus. Cafes and catering establishments, shopping and leisure centers, cinemas and cultural institutions were closed. In some regions, a ban on visiting religious institutions came into force and public transport stopped working. The government of the Russian Federation, in order to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus infection in Russia, temporarily limited the entry into the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and people without Russian citizenship, including those arriving from the territory of Belarus, as well as citizens of Belarus, from March 18. The restriction will be valid until May 1, 2020. The Russian capital, Moscow is an international hub with thousands of people travelling through. This had the effect of bringing more cases of infection into the country. Moscow is in the most difficult position with the highest number of cases in the country (around 70% of total), with ambulance services operating at peak limits. Cases doubled over the past week and heavy cases increased (where 85% of virus infection caused pneumonia). Self-isolation now operates in the Moscow region for all residents. It is not allowed to leave the house unnecessarily. It is permitted to leave the apartment in cases of dog walking, going to work (for those who operate in special industries), going to a pharmacy, to a store (within 100 meters) and for taking out garbage. People returned from abroad or have been in contact with those as well as people older than 65 year are mandatory quarantined at home. Those who break the restrictions are fined. But with the deadly pandemic hitting the country in unexpected ways, the planned referendum was delayed indefinitely, which could mean several months in light of the virus’s complexity. Russia feels compelled to celebrate its Victory Day on May 9 in a low-profile manner.
As a result of the lockdown measures imposed to deal with the rising number of coronavirus cases, the government estimates at the beginning of the month showed that total economic activity had declined by a third since the pandemic began. Already, unemployment has risen by 30 percent since the pandemic hit Russia, according to official statistics, but the figures are believed to be vastly underestimated. This is due to the existence of a large informal sector that is estimated to be between 30-40 percent of GDP.