Moscow orders new restrictions as infections soar

Moscow's mayor on Saturday ordered a week off for some workplaces and imposed restrictions on many businesses to fight coronavirus infections that have more than doubled in the past week.

The national coronavirus task force reported 6,701 new confirmed cases in Moscow, compared with 2,936 on June 6.

Nationally, the daily tally has spiked by nearly half over the past week, to 13,510.

After several weeks of lockdown as the pandemic spread in the spring of 2020, the Russian capital eased restrictions and did not reimpose any during subsequent case increases.

But because of the recent sharp rise, "it is impossible not to react to such a situation," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

He ordered enterprises that do not normally work on weekends to remain closed for the next week while continuing to pay employees.

Food courts and children's play areas in shopping centers also are to close for a week beginning Sunday, and restaurants and bars must limit their service to takeout from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.