In Moscow, all outdoor events have been banned and schools will be closed. Meanwhile, indoor gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 50 people. The orders were published on the website of the capital's mayor Sergey Sobyanin and came only a few hours after a spokesman said the Kremlin "saw no need" to introduce a state of emergency.

Under the measures, schools will be shut from March 21, with only small daycare groups in primary schools excluded. Meanwhile, older people are asked to limit contact with the outside world as much as possible and to remain at home. All visitors from the rest of Europe, and North America, will be subject to 14 days of self-isolation on arrival. At the same time, bus drivers will stop issuing tickets to protect themselves from contact.

The prohibition on outdoor gatherings effectively means the Russian football season will be at least partially suspended, as four of the Premier League's 16 teams are Moscow-based, with CSKA and Lokomotiv both scheduled to play at home this weekend.

In ice hockey's Kontinental Hockey League, both Dynamo and CSKA feature in the playoffs. The 50-person limit on indoor crowds will also affect bars and restaurants, as well as theatre shows and various public meetings.

“The restrictions introduced today are absolutely necessary and will be lifted (canceled) immediately after this need disappears,” the website explained.

Meanwhile, Moscow authorities have introduced a bonus payment for doctors who are working with coronavirus patients. It comes as the number of Russian Covid-19 cases leaped by almost a third in one day, with 30 new cases, 20 of them in the capital. The nationwide total is now 93, with 53 in Moscow.

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