Moscow, June 9 (RHC)-- Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the lifting of the city’s months-long coronavirus lockdown on Monday, saying that the pandemic was under control, making it possible to resume normal life during the course of June.

Sobyanin’s remarks came shortly after Russia declared a partial reopening of its borders, saying it would allow people who needed to work, study, get medical treatment, or look after relatives to travel abroad for the first time since late March.

“The pandemic has slowly but steadily been on the wane for several weeks,” Sobyanin wrote on his personal blog.  “Moscow can practically get back to its usual rhythm of life.”

Russia, meanwhile, continues to report thousands of new infections daily. Its nationwide tally surpassed the 476,000 mark — being the third-highest in the world — though the number of cases in Moscow has fallen by more than half to nearly 2,000 per day.

However, the total number of deaths across the large country stands at only 5,971 — much lower than many other countries.