1 Jul 2022 09:24

Rospotrebnadzor lifting all Covid-related restrictions in Russia

MOSCOW. July 1 (Interfax) - As the coronavirus situation in Russia continues to improve, Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor is lifting all restrictions imposed earlier due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the mask mandate, the Rospotrebnadzor press service said.

"As the intensity of the epidemiological process continues to recede, Rospotrebnadzor is lifting all earlier introduced restrictions, including the mask mandate, the ban on the nighttime operations of public catering establishments, and a number of other measures," the press service said.

This decision lifts the mask mandate and removes the ban on holding large-scale events and restrictions on the functioning of catering establishments, which were earlier imposed by Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova.

Rospotrebnadzor, however, said that if the Covid-19 situation worsens, "these restrictive measures may be reinstated."

At the same time, anti-epidemic measures intended to timely detect new coronavirus cases and to monitor the epidemiological process will continue.

Coronavirus morbidity has been steadily declining in Russia over the past four months, and, in light of this dynamics and the specifics of the Omicron strain of Covid-19, restrictions for a number of economic sectors have been minimized since March 1, Rospotrebnadzor said. The gradual lifting of these restrictions "has not led to any negative changes in the tendencies of the epidemiological process in the country," it said.