Coronavirus enters new stage in Russia's capital, says Moscow Mayor

With the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Moscow crossing 1,000 mark, the spread of coronavirus in the Russian capital has entered a new stage, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday.

Moscow [Russia], Mar 29 : With the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Moscow crossing 1,000 mark, the spread of coronavirus in the Russian capital has entered a new stage, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyn said on Sunday.

According to Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Russian Federal Customs Service and Rospotrebnadzor "a total of 182,702 people in Russia remain under the supervision of medical experts as they may be infected with the coronavirus", Sputnik reported.

Sobyn on Sunday stated, "the coronavirus has entered a new phase in the Russian capital as the number of those infected has exceeded 1, 000,"

Media outlets had reported that public places in Moscow will be disinfected to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A self-isolation regime in Moscow started on March 28 as nearly 15,000 food services and more than 40,000 shops were closed. The number of people travelling on the metro decreased by three-fold and those on above-ground transport two-fold.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week announced new measures to help Russia deal with the coronavirus pandemic, including temporary relief for businesses and a paid holiday in the country from March 28 to April 5.

Before that, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyn had ordered residents of Moscow aged over 65 to stay home from March 26 onwards.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Saturday ordered to suspend border crossing by car and by rail starting March 30.

The number of patients infected with COVID-19 in Russia has increased by 270 people over the past 24 hours and currently stands at 1,534.

( With inputs from ANI )