SAS 24 NEWS

PARIS, France – Moscow’s mayor announced four months of stay – home restrictions for unvaccinated over – 60s on Tuesday and the Russian government proposed a week – long workplace shutdown as the national death toll from COVID – 19 hit yet another daily high.

The moves reflect a growing sense of urgency from the authorities as they confront fast – rising cases and widespread public reluctance to get inject with the Russian – made Sputnik V vaccine.

Moscow, a city of 12.7 million, ordered people over the age of 60 to stay home for four months starting on Oct.25 unless they are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID, and for businesses to move at least 30% of their staff to remote work.

‘The number of people hospitalised with a severe from of the disease is increasing every day’, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on his website.

‘The most alarming thing is the situation with COVID infection among the older generation’, he added, saying over – 60s accounted for 60% of patients, nearly 80% of people on ventilators, and 86% of deaths.

The new measures were announced hours after Russia reported 1,015 coronavirus – related deaths, the highest single – day toll since the start of the pandemic, as well as 33,740 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours.

Speaking at a government meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova proposed that Oct.30 to Nov.7 be deemed non – working days to combat rising infections. Russia introduced similar measures earlier in the pandemic.

Golikova said people should have to present QR codes on their mobile phones to prove they had been vaccinated or had recovered from COVID in order to attend some public events or visit certain facilities.

Russia’s region should decide for themselves whether unvaccinated pensioners should be ordered to self – isolate or whether extra vacation should be offered to workers as an incentive for getting vaccinated, she said.