COVID-19 restrictions tightened in Tatarstan since Monday

Restrictive measures taken because of COVID-19 have been tightened in Tatarstan since 11 October. Official representative of the Kazan Kremlin Liliya Galimova has announced this.

• One can enter public eating places, be provided services at sports venues, in swimming pools, gyms, water parks, enter shopping malls and entertainment centres (complexes), non-food retail stores with an area of over 400 square metres only with a QR code.
• The capacity in concert halls, cinemas, theatres is no more than 50% but no more than 500 people. A 70% rate is possible if a number of conditions are met: all employees have been vaccinated against COVID-19 except for those who have a medical exemption from the vaccination confirmed by a certificate of medical institutions, people above 18 years can enter and attend an event if they have QR codes confirming their vaccination against COVID-19 or recovery from the disease in the last six months. An organiser also must inform the Tatarstan taskforce about an event no later than seven days in advance.

• Official sports events, entertaining and cultural events must be held with a capacity not exceeding 50% but no more than 500 people. An up to 70% rate is permitted if employees are fully vaccinated, visitors are let in with QR codes. An event must be approved by the taskforce no later than 30 days in advance.
• Hotels, including hostels, can operate if no more than 50% of the rooms are occupied. The full occupancy rate is permitted if all the employees have been vaccinated against coronavirus except for people who have a medical exemption from the vaccination confirmed by a certificate from a medical institution.
• A self-isolation regime is introduced for people over 65 who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 and haven’t had the given disease in the last six months. They may leave their place of residence when seeking first aid and in cases of a direct threat to their life and health, when going to a vaccination site to receive a jab against COVID-19, going to the closest store to buy goods, services, going for a walk or walking pets not further than 100 metres from their home avoiding crowded places, taking rubbish to the closest bin. Employees must shift workers over 65 years to remote working.

Last Friday, head of the Tatarstan office of Russia’s consumer rights protection watchdog Marina Patyashina announced the intention of introducing restrictive measures due to the spread of COVID-19. The epidemiological situation in the republic is tense and alarming, she said. Also, the chairwoman of the Tatarstan office of the watchdog didn’t rule out the introduction of QR-code systems in big areas with information about vaccination of visitors against coronavirus and their disease. Such a practice was already going to be used during a 2022 FIFA WC qualifier match of Russia and Slovakia, which was in Kazan on 8 October

Late last week, 80 people were diagnosed with coronavirus in the republic. The total number of infections in the region reached 27,554 people.