Russian public health authority outlines plan for reopening some non-essential businesses ‘in the next few days’

Russia's public health authority, Rospotrebnadzor, has come up with a plan that will allow beauty salons, dry cleaners, laundromats, non-food stores and auto repair shops to resume work “in the next few days,” Vedomosti reports. The newspaper cites a government representative as its source.

The decision of whether or not to open these establishments up again — in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — will reportedly be left up to the regional authorities.

Rospotrebnadzor’s plan outlines a list of security measures, such as:

• Preventing employees who have not undergone relevant medical exams from returning to work, as well as those who have a cough, runny nose, or fever
• Suspending employees who are over 65 years old, as well as those who suffer from chronic diseases, or compromised immune systems, and pregnant women
• Amassing a five-day supply of personal protective equipment, disinfectants, and cleaning supplies; using an “antibacterial air-circulator for disinfecting the air”; and ventilating rooms every two hours, as well as after each visitor
• Marking the floors so that the distance between people is no less than one-and-a-half meters, and only allowing lineups on the street that maintain the same distancing requirements
• Requiring employees to wear masks and gloves, and to change them every three hours

Beauty salons will have to comply with additional sanitary requirements.

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, some regions have already “thought about opening beauty salons and other establishments,” Vedomosti reports.

Moscow has yet to announce a decision about when companies will be allowed to resume work. A decision on potentially extending quarantine restrictions has not been reached either, a representative of the Moscow Mayor’s Office told the newspaper.

On April 23, Rospotrebnadzor presented a plan that will allow cafes and restaurants to reopen, as well. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, these establishments are currently limited to offering delivery. Rospotrebnadzor’s plan involves gradually phasing out these restrictions. 

• On the morning of April 24, Russian officials announced that the country had recorded 5,849 new coronavirus infections in the past day, bringing the nation’s total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 68,622 patients.
• Another 60 people reportedly died from the disease, raising Russia’s total number of fatalities caused by COVID-19 to 615.