Facing a new wave of Covid: Notes from Russia

Russian society is sharply divided on how to deal with the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country.

After wearing masks outdoors for more than 18 months in India, it was by mere habit that I’d step out of my hotel in the heart of Moscow with my nose and mouth fully covered. Seconds after I’d step out, the thought would strike me that I could walk around unmasked on the streets of the Russian capital.

Russians are rebels by nature and it’s extremely dif…