Russia Weighs Nationwide CCP Virus Lockdown After Moscow Acts

Russian police officers patrol on the deserted Red square in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow as the city and its surrounding regions imposed lockdowns today, that were being followed by other Russian regions in a bid to slow the spread of the COVID-19 infection caused by the novel coronavirus, Moscow, Russia , on March 30, 2020. Dimitar Dilkoff /AFP via Getty Images

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asked regional governors to consider introducing a partial lockdown to halt the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, after Russia on March 30 recorded its biggest one-day rise in cases for the sixth day in a row.

Russia’s official nationwide tally of CCP virus cases rose by 302 on Monday, taking the total to 1,836. Nine people across Russia have died, the authorities say.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and new Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin attend a new cabinet meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 21, 2020. Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Government Pool Photo via AP

Authorities in Moscow have ordered residents to stay at home from Monday, their toughest move yet to slow the spread of the CCP virus after the number of official cases in the Russian capital passed the 1,000 mark.

Mishustin said he thought the measures now needed to be rolled out nationwide.

“I ask the leaders of (Russia’s regions) to pay attention to (Moscow’s) experience and to work out the possibility of introducing such measures in their regions,” he said.

Some regions, like Russia’s Arctic region of Murmansk, which shares a border with Finland and Norway, have already acted, while most others in the world’s largest country by territory have yet to do so.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said 20 percent of residents were ignoring his order to self-isolate, but that he hoped an IT system would be operational by the end of the week that would allow authorities to control the movement of people.

A municipal vehicle disinfects a street on the outskirts of Moscow, as the city attempts to curb the spread of the COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, Moscow, Russiam on March 28, 2020. (Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP) via Getty Images)

Muscovites are only allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop, get urgent medical treatment, walk the dog, or take out the bins, under the new rules.

“This may now seem to some of you like some kind of game, a kind of Hollywood thriller. This is no game...,” Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, said in a video address.

“Unfortunately, what is happening now is a real threat to all of us and to all of human civilization,” said Medvedev, who was prime minister until earlier this year.

Russia has so far got off more lightly than many European countries, but some doctors have voiced scepticism about the accuracy of its figures given what they say has been the patchy nature and quality of testing, allegations that the authorities deny.

According to a survey by the Levada Center, only 16 percent of Russians fully trust official information about the CCP virus, while 24 percent said they did not trust it at all.

By Maxim Rodionov and Tom Balmforth

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.