To Avoid The Covid’s Curfews, Russians Resort To Foreign Beaches

Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : October 29, 2021

Many Russians are opting for a foreign beach holiday instead of remaining at home, even though they have been under the most restrictive travel restrictions since the flu outbreak. Workplaces in Russia will be closed for paid “non-working days” beginning in the first week of November, according to the Russian government, in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, Russia saw 1,123 more COVID-19 deaths, the most in a single day in the country’s history. Unvaccinated over-60s in Moscow are prohibited from leaving their homes for the next four months, and all businesses except pharmacies and supermarkets will be shuttered starting Thursday and continuing until Thanksgiving Day.

To Avoid The Covid’s Curfews, Russians Resort To Foreign Beaches

Travel reservations to countries where Russia’s flagship Sputnik V is recognized or where COVID entry requirements are affordable and easy increased sharply due to the tightening limitations, which came along with recommendations to wear masks, keep social distance, and get vaccinated. According to Orange Sun Tour’s osttour.ru website, “don’t quarantine, but vacation on the beach!” is what they recommend instead of quarantining. Among the destinations offered by the firm are holidays in places like Cyprus, Egypt, and Cuba.

To Avoid The Covid's Curfews, Russians Resort To Foreign Beaches

Rates for trips to all potential destinations have increased dramatically, according to travel operator PolinaBondarenko. More visitors had been immunized than the national average, which is around one-third. “People are fleeing because of this lockdown,” she told Reuters. Mkhissin Rami, a manager of Orange Sun Tours, said that the rush started immediately once the partial lockdowns were announced earlier this week.

Demand grew almost fivefold, according to him, “because there’s nothing to do in Moscow and here,” either. In Egypt, where hotel stays typically cost about 100,000 roubles per week for two people, the price has jumped to over 150,000 roubles ($2,130), according to him. A query posed to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday raised the problem of people evading lockdown by traveling abroad. Peskov reacted by noting that medical professionals have expressed concerns and that there may be epidemiological impacts.

Peskov, on the other hand, said that such vacations were not restricted and that none were planned and that restricting people’s freedom of movement was an unwelcome last resort. Tourists interviewed at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow showed no apparent irony in their decision to leave the country at a time when the government asked residents to decrease their internal travel. Without this trip, Nina, who lives in the Vladimir area east of Moscow and whose prior attempt to take a holiday to Turkey got thwarted by airline delays in April of this year, said she’d be languishing at home.

Russian native Alexandra said she was unconcerned about COVID security issues since the hotels were on top of things. In fact, she believes this will be her sixth trip away from home this year. “In order to comply with and uphold the rules, they (the hotels) are doing all in their power to do so. I’m also immunized, which won’t rescue you but will be useful in some way. The future seems wonderful.”


Nikki Attkisson

With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.

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