The rest of the world may have descended into panic and pandemonium over the coronavirus pandemic, but for a while Orthodox devotees in the Russian city of Lipetsk believed they had found a fail-proof way to a cure.

A religious group going by the name of the “Holy Royal Martyrs” intended to delegate the problem of banishing Covid-19 from Lipetsk to God – by organising a “holy automobile procession” through the city. Organisers said the idea to give a “spiritual push to banish the virus woe” came about after “multiple requests” from believers.

Approximately 50 such fanatics were ready to join in the event this Sunday.

But the procession was not to be after city authorities scuppered plans over public health fears. Now the group will be forced to pray away the virus in the safety of their churches and their own homes.

“We ask followers to sing hymns and read prayers against coronavirus,” Yury Bernikov, the group’s spiritual leader wrote on his social media page.

Earlier in the week, Lipetsk local authorities closed schools and introduced a ban on all mass cultural and sport gatherings. The restrictions, which are due to last two weeks, mirrored similar measures introduced across the country.

Moscow, home to over 12 million often densely populated people, has for over a week been subject to severe restrictions and a regime of “high alert.”

Thousands of flights coming from the seven countries deemed to be most at risk — China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Spain and Germany — have been cancelled. Those who have been in any one of these countries are also being asked to self-isolate for a period of two weeks.

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Speaking on Wednesday, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said that such measures have enabled the country to limit the impact of the virus in Russia.

“Despite the seriousness of the situation abroad, we have managed to keep the risk of transmission to a minimum,” he said.

While the number of reported cases across the country remains low, the same day Russia’s Health Ministry reported the largest single day rise so far. The official number of cases now stands at 28 nationwide, up from 20.

Some fear that the real number may be much higher, and that the country’s skeletal public health system stands woefully unprepared.

But Russia is feeling the effects of the coronavirus crisis even more acutely elsewhere.

A combination of a Saudi-Russian oil price war and pandemic fears have seen the oil price tumble to a below-cost $33 dollars a barrel. The currency of the oil-dependent nation has also experienced a significant drop in value, with the ruble losing around 15 per cent against most currencies over the last week.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was not yet in panic mode, and was certainly not contemplating the possibility of cancelling the most valuable political event of the year: Victory Day.

Due to be held on 9 May, this year’s event marks 75 years since the end of WWII in Europe. Moscow has been long poised to use the event to emphasise the country’s historic role in defeating Fascism.