As Moscow enters strict quarantine, Putin has been notably silent
Muscovites got a four-hour notice Sunday night on a sweeping quarantine that will keep them inside their homes unless they are walking a pet, taking out the trash or visiting the nearest grocery store. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin’s decree did not take effect until midnight, but the confusion was immediate.
Within an hour, prominent Russian lawmaker Andrei Klishas questioned the legality of Sobyanin’s order, arguing that only federal authorities could impose such restrictions. While some state media said there was not a curfew for the Moscow region, video of police announcing one from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. circulated on social media.
It capped a week of mixed messaging from Russian authorities on the coronavirus pandemic, as President Vladimir Putin has delegated enacting tough measures to others. He has been silent as Moscow has declared a stricter quarantine than most European cities, prompting one blogger for the popular Echo of Moscow independent radio station to wonder whether Sobyanin is now making the key decisions for Russia. [Continue reading…]