Five Russian regions extend ‘non-working days’ due to COVID-19

Russia’s nationwide period of “non-working days” — announced by the federal government in late October, to slow the spread of COVID-19 — ended on Sunday, November 7. But five regions opted for extended lockdowns at the local level.

The Novgorod and Tomsk regions will continue their “non-working days” until Sunday, November 14; the Chelyabinsk and Kursk regions until Friday, November 12; and the Smolensk region until Wednesday, November 10, inclusively. 

Meanwhile, a number of regions that are no longer under lockdown restrictions have introduced or extended QR-code requirements for visiting cafes, restaurants, and shopping malls. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a paid “non-working week” from October 30 to November 7, against the backdrop of surging coronavirus cases. Several Russian regions, including Moscow, opted to go into partial lockdown even earlier.

The latest surge in coronavirus infections began in Russia in the early fall, due to the spread of the Delta variant. The federal anti-coronavirus headquarters has reported record-breaking numbers of new infections and deaths almost daily. A pandemic record was last recorded on Saturday, November 6, when 41,335 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in a 24-hour period. 

On Monday, November 8, Russia recorded 39,400 new coronavirus cases, as well as 1,190 fatalities in the last 24 hours.