Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to ease COVID-19 restrictions in Russia, even as the country is seeing a record surge in new infections.

Speaking at an online virtual meeting with Russia’s business association, Business Russia, on Thursday, Putin suggested that the existing self-isolation mandate for people who have come into contact with COVID-19 would be lifted at the earliest.

“The general assessment is that even restrictions for those who come into contact [with COVID-19] can be lifted in the nearest future, I mean to give people the opportunity to continue working in peace,” said the 69-year-old, assuring that Russia would be ready for full-fledged business.

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Putin’s comment comes at a time when Russia is registering new daily records every other day. On Thursday, Russian authorities in charge of handling the pandemic reported 155,768 new infections across the country, along with 667 deaths.

Russia’s daily tally of new COVID-19 infections has increased tenfold in comparison to the last month, when Russia had a daily average of 15,000 new infections.

Despite the record numbers, Russian authorities thus far have resisted the urge to impose restrictions to the curb the spread of the virus, and have been largely opposed to imposing lockdowns.

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As far as lockdowns go, Russia has had two since the beginning of the pandemic: Russian authorities had imposed a six-week lockdown in 2020, and in October 2021, many people had been ordered to stay at home for about a week.

However, despite the relative lack of restrictions for adults, Russian authorities have taken measures of late to protect those under the age of 18. Officials have stated that the current surge in COVID-19 infections is affecting those under the age of 18 more than adults, and schools have either switched to remote learning or been given extended holidays. In several places, including St Petersburg, minors have been barred from entering most public places for the time being.