As of 5 March 2020, Moscow has announced a high-alert regime to prevent the spread of COVID-191. New measures require employees who return from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Spain and Germany to self-isolate for 14 days, as well as to report to the Moscow city hotline (+ 7 495 870 45 09).

The list of above countries may be expanded by the Moscow division of Rospotrebnadzor, but at the time this legal alert was released, the Rospotrebnadzor website was down and officials refused to clarify if any other countries were currently on the list.

Those who develop symptoms of the disease must seek medical help at home without going to any medical facilities.

Employers operating in Moscow are obliged to check the body temperature of all employees and send home those with elevated temperature, ensure compliance with the self-isolation regime, and inform authorities about all work contacts of an employee with COVID-19, as well as disinfect the premises where the employee was located.

Consequences of violation

Failure to comply with mandatory rules of sanitary and epidemiological safety, may entail a fine for companies of up to 30,000 rubles (approx. USD 450). In cases of a repeated or a gross violation, authorities may suspend business activities of a company for up to 90 days2.

Violation of requirements established by statutes of the City of Moscow in the field of protecting the population from natural and man-made emergency situations may result in company officers being administratively prosecuted with a fine of up to 5,000 rubles (approx. USD 75)3.

In addition, authorities may deport foreigners for violations or deny re-entry.

If the situation with the spread of COVID-19 aggravates, potentially authorities may resort to criminal prosecution. Under Article 236 of the Russian Criminal Code violations of sanitary-epidemiological rules that result in, by negligence, mass diseases entail supervised restriction of freedom for up to one year, and a prison term up to five years, if negligent acts result in human death.