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Moscow Tightens Coronavirus Curbs On Restaurants, Bars Until Mid-January


A woman in a face mask and protective suit sits on a bench in central Moscow.
A woman in a face mask and protective suit sits on a bench in central Moscow.

MOSCOW -- Russian authorities have decided to prohibit restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in the capital from serving customers between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. for two months in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

From November 13 until January 15, the number of spectators in theaters, movie theaters, and concert halls will be restricted to up to one-quarter of all their total capacity, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on November 10, citing a "significant" rise in the number of new infections.

During that period, college and university students will also have to continue their education through remote learning.

Russian health authorities said on November 10 that 5,902 new infections were reported in Moscow over the past day.

At total of 20,977 new cases and 368 deaths were reported across the country, bringing the overall case tally to more than 1,817,100 -- the fifth-largest in the world.

On November 6, Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said that 70 percent of the beds allocated in the city for COVID-19 patients were filled, after two temporary hospitals were opened for the sick last month in addition to the two previously operating.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

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