COVID-19 spread coefficient in Moscow decreases first time in two weeks

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - The coronavirus spread coefficient in Russia and Moscow on Tuesday decreased for the first time in recent days, according to TASS calculations based on the data from the anti-coronavirus crisis center. In Moscow this occurred after two weeks of continued growth of this value, TASS reports.

In Russia the coefficient has decreased from 1.21 to 1.2, in Moscow - from 1.94 to 1.83.

In all ten regions with the most number of infections the coefficient remains above one. In the Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh, and Rostov Regions it is at 1.03, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region it is at the mark of 1.05, in the Moscow Region - at 1.06, in the Irkutsk Region the coefficient is at 1.07, while it is at 1.1 in St. Petersburg, at 1.11 in the Sverdlovsk Region as of Tuesday morning, and in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area it has sharply decreased from 1.24 to 1.14.

These levels reflect the recent growth in incidence in the country: since early September in Russia over 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus infection have been detected daily, while on September 29 their number surpassed 8,200.

The coronavirus spread coefficient shows how many people on average are infected by one infected person before isolation. Along with other criteria it was used to determine whether the regions were ready to lift gradually the restrictive measures introduced in spring to fight the epidemic. Currently the coefficient is used, for instance, to make decisions on restoration of regular passenger service with foreign countries. According to the sanitary watchdog’s recommendations, a border with a particular country may be opened if the coefficient there has not surpassed one for one week.