This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
Moscow Exits Lockdown Amid Global COVID-19 Crisis ¶
June 9, 2020
Residents of Moscow, Russia's capital, took advantage of the city's exit from a strict coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the pandemic was 'worsening' worldwide.
As of June 8, Russia had the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally, with 8,595 new cases registered countrywide on Tuesday and the death toll passing 6,000.
Marketing manager Olga Ivanova, walking in central Moscow, described the scene as 'nice out and there are a lot of people on the streets.' 'It's a beautiful day, in every sense of the word,' she added.
The WHO reported a record number of new coronavirus cases globally, with 136,000 cases reported in the previous 24 hours, 'the most in a single day so far,' according to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Despite the challenges, some countries are cautiously reopening their economies. Cyprus welcomed its first tourist flights after nearly three months on lockdown, with scheduled arrivals from Israel, Greece, and Bulgaria.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is set to reopen on June 25, while other countries, such as Spain and Britain, have imposed stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus.
