Russia will end its non-working period from Tuesday but the ban on mass public gatherings will be upheld, Russian President Vladimir Putin said while addressing the nation on the coronavirus situation on Monday.

"Starting from tomorrow, May 12, the national period of non-working days will be over for all sectors of the economy," said Putin, adding that Russia's various regions could keep any necessary anti-virus measures in place.

The president also announced new welfare payments for families with children and there will be new support measures for the economy.

The Kremlin introduced the measures in late March, saying Russians not working in essential jobs would have to stay at home but still receive their salaries as part of sweeping efforts to contain the virus.

The move brought uncertainty to the economy already grappling with low oil prices, with business owners struggling to pay full salaries to employees while shutting their doors to customers.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin last week extended a lockdown in the capital until the end of May and ordered residents to wear masks and gloves on public transport. Yet Sobyanin has also said that some industries and construction sites can begin work this week.

Putin on Monday said that Russia had used the self-isolation period to prepare its healthcare system, increasing the amount of hospital beds and saving "many thousands of lives." This "allows us to begin a gradual lifting of restrictions," he said.

Russia's reported mortality rate is much lower compared to other European countries hit hard by the pandemic, with 94 new deaths on Monday and a nationwide toll of 2,009 from the coronavirus.

Russia now has the third highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, overtaking the UK and Italy, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University. 

The country confirmed 11,656 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 221,344, the country's coronavirus task force said on Monday.

The government says it has conducted more than 5.6 million tests and Putin on Monday vowed to double the daily testing capacity to 300,000 by mid-May.

(With input from AFP)