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How Muscovites have responded to new Covid-19 restrictions
From September to October 2020, the number of daily coronavirus cases in Russia trebled - from 5,000 to 15,000, with 30 percent of all the cases located in Moscow and Moscow Region. So, the Moscow mayor has imposed new partial restrictions. But not everyone is happy and some residents are finding them impossible to comply with
"Do you seriously believe that this piece of rag on your mush will stop the virus? For your information, not even a condom can prevent some viruses and this is just a face mask. Wimps!",
"I'll f*cking well beat up the inspectors if they try to nab me. Under no circumstances should you give or show them your ID. Only at a police station. Try to run away. Spit at them first!"
"God forbid you get sick. If you do, though, you'll see what a horrible nightmare it is. I got it and almost kicked the bucket. Don't be a denier - put on a pair of gloves!"
These were some of the different comments of Muscovites in the Baza news channel chatroom on the Telegram messaging app on October 16, 2020. They were reacting to the reintroduction of the ban on using public transport in Moscow without wearing face masks and gloves. More than 10 new restrictions have been introduced in total.
Bureaucracy hits clubsOne of the main restrictions affects bars, clubs and other late-night venues - from October 19, 2020, staff and guests can only enter entertainment venues from 00:00 to 06:00 after registering their telephone numbers. And, in the rest of Moscow Region, late-night entertainment venues have been banned from operating altogether between the hours of 00:00 and 08:00.
"On entering the premises, guests will either have to scan a QR code or send an SMS message to a special short number," Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote on his blog. If any guest is subsequently discovered to have Covid, everyone else will be notified that they need to take a Covid test.
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