Moscow commuters brave epidemic to return to work

by Romain Colas

On an electric trolleybus ride into central Moscow, all the passengers and the driver are wearing masks and gloves under new rules as the city begins a gradual return to work.

“It’s positive, because it’s a necessary measure,” says 25-year-old Tatiana Khan, who wears a surgical mask and a T-shirt bearing a “love” motif.

The Russian capital with 12 million residents is still under lockdown but half a million employed in construction and industry sectors were allowed to work from Tuesday for the first time since late March.

To avoid an escalation in the number of infections, the city authorities have made it mandatory to wear gloves and a mask on public transport, on pain of a fine of 5,000 rubles ($68, 63 euros).

Khan is a key worker employed by the municipal housing authorities and has been disinfecting the hallways of apartment blocks to prevent the spread of the virus.

“If everyone had worn masks from the start, observed the precautions, I think we wouldn’t have had such a spread of the epidemic,” she says as the half-empty bus drives around the city centre. (AFP)