Chief sanitary physician orders Russians to keep distance of no less than one meter

Russia’s Chief Sanitary Physician Anna Popova

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/: All citizens must keep a distance of no less than one meter from each other, this restriction does not apply to taxi trips, reads the executive order issued by Russia’s Chief Sanitary Physician Anna Popova posted on the official website of regulatory legal acts on Wednesday.

"Citizens must keep a distance of no less than one meter from other citizens, including in public places and public transport, except for the provision of services to transport passengers and luggage by taxi," the document reads.

The executive order comes into force on April 1.

As of March 31, a total of 2,337 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, 121 patients have recovered. Moscow accounts for the majority of cases (1,613). According to the federal coronavirus crisis center, as of 12:00 Moscow time, 17 fatalities were recorded. The Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public informed about the coronavirus situation.