Moscow, March 30  Authorities in the Russian capital have increased restrictions on movement in a bid to contain the coronavirus spread, allowing people to only leave their homes for urgent and limited purposes.

From Monday, Moscow residents will only be allowed to go out for urgent medical help, go to work if they are required to, shop for basic necessities such as food and medicine and throw out household waste, the BBC reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said people can walk their pets "no more than 100 metres from their place of residence".

Russia currently has reported 1,534 cases of Covid-19, out of which eight people have died and 64 have recovered.