Moscow Going Into Lockdown

Russia is in the midst of its worst surge yet in COVID cases and deaths, and the mayor of Moscow has resorted to what has been considered a last resort: The city is going into what amounts to an 11-day lockdown starting next week, reports the Washington Post. From Oct. 28 to Nov. 7, eat-in restaurants, schools, gyms, cinemas, etc., will close their doors, per the AP. Some exceptions: Food stores and pharmacies can stay open, while museums and theaters can operate at half-capacity. “Let’s take a little rest and help save the lives and health of many people,” says Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "And then the city can return to normal life."

The move comes a day after Russia reported 36,339 new infections and 1,036 deaths Wednesday in a 24-hour span. Russia's death toll, now above 227,000, is easily the highest in Europe. This also comes a day after Vladimir Putin told most Russian workers to stay home from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 while expressing frustration over the nation's low vaccination rate of about 30%. “I can’t understand what’s going on,” Putin said in regard to the low acceptance of the nation's Sputnik vaccine. “We have a reliable and efficient vaccine. The vaccine really reduces the risks of illness, grave complications and death.” (More Moscow stories.)