Russia's COVID-19 Restrictions Should Be Extended to May Holidays - Epidemiologist

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2020) The restrictions imposed in Russia to contain the coronavirus should be extended to May holidays, Nikolay Briko, a Health Ministry's epidemiologist, said on Wednesday.

"I think this matters very much. If we look at other countries, with an obvious trend toward reduction, ... they do not cancel measures related to self-isolation and social distancing. There are some alleviations, but the measures remain in place, this is why I believe they should remain in place in our country. Everything will become more clear after the May holidays," Briko told reporters.

He added that the country had not yet reached the COVID-19 plateau, calling for monitoring the situation during at least one more week.

"Over the past few days, the growth stands at 8-10 percent, which is obviously less than earlier, when it reached 15-17 percent, but it is too early to say that we have reached the peak or even the plateau. We should monitor the situation. Let us wait and see, we need to monitor the situation for at least a week to make any conclusions," Briko added.