Russia is reportedly reviewing legislation that could put coronavirus quarantine breakers in jail for up to 7 years

Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: ALEXEI DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

After preaching calm, the Kremlin sounds like it's ready to take the coronavirus pandemic a lot more seriously, The Guardian reports.

There was a healthy amount of skepticism over the low coronavirus numbers Russia had been reporting in recent weeks, which seems to have been validated after Russian President Vladimir Putin changed his tune Wednesday, delaying a public vote (which was mostly a formality) on constitutional amendments that will allow him to remain in power until 2036, requesting people to remain at home, and announcing a week-long holiday during which workers will receive their salaries.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.