(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
On March 17, local authorities denied reprots that Moscow will be soon put on a full lockdown over the situation with the outbreak of coronavirus.
Earlier, Russian opposition media reproted that authorities were working on a plan to introduce a strict quarantine in the capital. Reports claimed that the condition for taking such measures is a supposedly expected “critical” increase in the number of coronavirus cases by March 20.
While Russia remains among the countries mostly not affected by the coronavirus spread, the media hysteria and the intensity of anti-epidemic measures seem to be in the state of a constant growth.
These developments are taking place amid the slow down of the Russian economy over the dramatically falling oil prices and the ongoing constituional reform initiated by President Vladimir Putin. The referendum on the constitutional changes is set to take place in April. Some Russian sources claim that authorities are using the coronavirus crisis to increase securiy measures and prevent expected provocations ahead of the referendum.
