Moscow maskless
© Getty Images / Oleg ElkovMoscow, Russia - March 2021: People walking on a street in Alexander garden in Moscow.
Almost one in every two people living in Moscow has developed antibodies to Covid-19, the city authorities have announced, with curfew rules, and restrictions on bars and clubs having already been scrapped as the caseload falls.

Speaking as part of an interview with RIA Novosti published on Friday, Anastasia Rakova, the Russian capital's Deputy Mayor for Social Development said, "We are systematically measuring the level of population immunity. Between 43 and 44 percent of Muscovites have antibodies, on average."

"This is a fairly high figure," she added, "and it allows the city to live an almost normal life with minimal restrictions."


Comment: Russian experts predicted herd immunity would be achieved soon enough and that indeed appears to be what is happening. Meanwhile many authorities in Europe are forcing citizens back into lockdown claiming a 'third wave', despite all evidence to the contrary: Angela Merkel BACKTRACKS on Easter lockdown after uproar


In January, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin lifted an edict that had required bars, restaurants, and clubs to close their doors between 11pm and 6am to limit the number of potential contacts made by partygoers. That measure was among the last to have been retained since the start of the pandemic.

Defending the move, Sobyanin said, "The pandemic is on the decline, and in these conditions, our duty is to create conditions for the fastest-possible economic recovery, primarily in the most affected sectors of the consumer market."

However, the mayor asked Muscovites to remember "that the likelihood of contracting the coronavirus, although reduced, still exists. The fight is not over yet. We still have to be careful."

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova has been charged with handling much of the government response to Covid-19. At the beginning of March, she said that, while the situation was still "quite serious," herd immunity would prevail across the country by the summer.

"If vaccination is carried out at the same pace as it is now, and the number of vaccination points remains the same, then the country will achieve collective immunity in August 2021," she stated. After peaking at almost 30,000 cases a day in December, the daily diagnosis count has since fallen sharply in the past three months.

Moscow has been a hotspot for the virus since the pandemic began last March, and responsible for almost a quarter of confirmed cases, despite Muscovites making up only around 10 percent of the population.

cadets
© RIAFILE PHOTO. Female cadets of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation named after V. Ya.Kikot at the military parade on Red Square dedicated to the 74th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Restrictions on public gatherings put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus in the Russian capital may soon be scrapped ahead of a series of planned events marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, local media reported on Thursday.

Three sources close to President Vladimir Putin allegedly told the RBK news network that preparations were being made to celebrate Victory Day on May 9 in pre-pandemic style, with large-scale processions. "For now, we are working on the assumption that [the planned events] will take place as usual, the officials said. "But the final decision will be made closer to case the and based on the epidemiological situation."

The annual March of the Immortal Regiment, held in Moscow to commemorate all those who fought in WWII or supported the war effort from home, is reportedly set to go ahead. Elena Tsunaeva, co-chair of the organizing committee, told RBK that "we are preparing for the face-to-face march, and we very much hope that will work out." She added that an online variant would be developed as a backup, and could be made available alongside real-life celebrations.

The Victory Parade, featuring soldiers and military hardware, is billed to take place, but the question remains whether spectators will be able to attend. Typically, the events attract crowds of thousands of people, with many more watching from nearby cafes, restaurants and bars. Simultaneous processions are also held in cities across the country.

In 2020, because of the pandemic, the parade was postponed from May 9 to June 24, with President Vladimir Putin attending alongside war veterans and foreign leaders. For spectators, the events that mark the victory over fascism were broadcast online.

Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told journalists that more than 200,000 deaths linked to the virus had been recorded across the country in the space of a year. Since a peak of almost 30,000 cases a day in December, the daily diagnosis count has fallen sharply in the past three months.