With new coronavirus records in Russia, a partial lockdown to contain the pandemic has begun in the capital Moscow.
Only supermarkets and pharmacies are still open, in a measure that entered force on Thursday. Schools, cinemas, shopping centres and gyms must remain closed until at least November 7. Restaurants and cafes are only allowed to offer take-away food and drinks.
Nationwide, work-free days are to apply from Saturday. President Vladimir Putin had decreed that wages would continue to be paid during this time. This applies mainly only to the public sector.
The media had recently reported that Russians wanted to fly abroad en masse on holiday, for example to Egypt.
According to official statistics on Thursday, more than 40,000 new infections were registered nationwide within 24 hours - more than ever before since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.
The number of Covid-19 deaths per day also reached a new high of 1,160.
Only one third of Russia's 146 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to official figures. No decision has been made yet on whether there will be compulsory vaccination nationwide, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Let's see how the situation develops."
So far, there is a requirement in some regions for people in certain professions to be immunized. Putin had spoken out against compulsory vaccination only last week.
It was unclear whether the days off work would be extended. Putin had not ruled out this possibility.
Peskov said that it was up to the regions to decide whether QR codes would be required in future as digital proof of a coronavirus vaccination or of having overcome an illness, for example, in order to use public transport.
