Russia's Yandex to supply Muscovites with coronavirus tests at home

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian internet firm Yandex is working with local laboratories to offer a new service allowing Moscow's residents to get tested for the novel coronavirus at home during the lockdown, it said on Thursday.

Yandex, sometimes referred to as "Russia's Google," offers a wide array of online services including an internet search engine, taxi reservations and food deliveries.

Its new service will allow Muscovites over the age of 65 to order a coronavirus test to be carried out by a medical professional at home.

Yandex said the tests would be made available to people in other age groups and regions when more laboratories begin testing for the novel coronavirus.

Russia has so far recorded 27,938 cases and 232 coronavirus-related deaths.

Moscow this week introduced a digital travel permit system to help it police a lockdown meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The measure initially created traffic jams and long queues of people wanting to use the metro.

(Reporting by Nadezhda Tsydenova; Writing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by David Holmes)