Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin Thursday ordered the closure of all non-essential services in the city from Oct. 28 to Nov. 7 in order to curb the spread of the most deadly wave of COVID-19.

"During this period, all companies and organizations in Moscow will have to stop working," Sobyanin said, noting that places "selling medicines, foodstuffs and basic necessities" were exempt from the decision.

Theaters and museums will remain open during this period, but with a capacity of 50 percent, provided that visitors present a health certificate.

"Experiences have shown us that days off work are the best way to reduce the number of injuries and deaths," Sobyanin added.

Russia is facing the worst wave of the pandemic since it began, and Thursday recorded a new record number of daily infections and deaths related to the virus, which amounted to 1,036 deaths and 36,339 new infections, according to government figures.

The Russian government has counted about 227,389 deaths from Covid-19 to date, the highest toll in Europe. But this figure is much lower than the real numbers, as the National Statistics Agency, Rosstat, announced more than 400,000 deaths at the end of August.

The slow vaccination campaign contributed to the spread of the pandemic, as surveys show that most Russians do not intend to receive vaccinations and are skeptical about them. Additionally, the country had lifted most imposed restrictions and many do not commit to wearing a mask.