Russian Health Authorities "Mask-Wearing Mandate to Be Lifted as Early as August"

"Over 60-70% Vaccination Rate Means No Need for Masks"
Safety Concerns Remain... Only 38% of Russian Citizens Say "Will Get Vaccinated"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian health authorities announced that they may lift the mandatory mask-wearing requirement, which was implemented as a COVID-19 prevention measure, as early as August. They analyzed that once the vaccination rate, mainly with domestically produced vaccines, surpasses 60-70%, forming herd immunity by August, there will be no need to wear masks anymore. However, public opinion surveys show that more than half of the Russian population refuses vaccination, indicating that safety concerns remain significant.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 8th (local time), Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated in an interview with TASS, "The mandatory mask-wearing requirement could be lifted as early as August." Previously, the Russian government had enforced a nationwide mask mandate starting from late October last year, restricting access to public transportation and public facilities for those not wearing masks as part of COVID-19 prevention measures.

The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, which oversees Russia's quarantine policies, also stated, "If 60-70% of the population gains immunity to the COVID-19 virus, the epidemic will disappear," adding, "If vaccination and prevention measures are properly implemented, masks can be removed starting this August." The Russian government began mass vaccinations with the domestically produced Sputnik V vaccine on December 5 last year.

In particular, on the 2nd, the Gamaleya Research Institute, a Russian state research center that developed the Sputnik V vaccine, submitted a paper to the international medical journal The Lancet, reporting an immunity effectiveness of over 90%, which raised expectations for the efficacy of the Russian vaccine. According to the paper, Russian health authorities announced that in a Phase 3 clinical trial conducted from September 7 to November 24 last year involving 19,866 Russian citizens aged 18 and older, an immunity effectiveness of 91.6% was observed.

However, concerns about the safety of the vaccine remain high within Russia, and many people are reluctant to get vaccinated. According to Bloomberg News, Russian authorities set up a free vaccination center in a shopping mall located at Moscow's Red Square to encourage vaccination, even promoting free ice cream for those who get vaccinated there. Bloomberg reported that only 38% of the population expressed willingness to receive the Russian vaccine in local opinion polls.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.