Moscow, June 4 (IANS): Face masks will remain mandatory in Moscow until a mass vaccination campaign against the coronavirus begins, which may happen in October, or even later, the Russian capital city's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

"How long we will have to wear masks... it will largely depend on the development of a mass vaccine," he told TASS News Agency in an interview.

According to various estimates, it will happen between October and February next year. I would like to hope that we will receive the first large vaccine shipments in October.

"People tend to quickly forget bad things, it's the way human psychology works... I think we will go back to our old way of living in a year," the added.

Moscow went on a lockdown over the coronavirus on March 29.

Numerous shops, eating establishments, parks, gyms and other facilities were closed.

However, the city's authorities have recently begun to ease restrictions as the coronavirus situation is improving.

Many retail, service and construction businesses were allowed to reopen.

However, the wearing of protective masks and gloves in public remains mandatory.

In terms of COVID-19 cases, Russia is the third-worst affected country in the world after the US and Brazil.

It currently accounts for 431,715 confirmed cases, with 5,200 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Health authorities on Thursday reported 8,831 new cases and 164 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The Russian capital, home to more than 12 million inhabitants, is the worst-affected in the country with 187,200 cases and 2,600 fatalities.