UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY CHIEF SANITARY OFFICER, MOSCOW MAYOR; REVISES DECK
By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) – Russia on Thursday saw its highest single-day spike in COVID-19-related deaths since March 23, as the number of cases in the country continues to grow, health officials said.
According to Russia’s emergency task force, 14,057 new coronavirus cases were reported over the last 24 hours, bringing the overall count to 5.26 million.
The rise in infections also pushed up fatalities, as some 416 people died of COVID-19 over the past day, bringing the country’s death toll to 127,992, while 11,205 recovered from the virus, putting the total number of recoveries to 4.83 million.
At least 296,350 people are currently under treatment in Russia.
Anna Popova, Russia's chief sanitary officer, explained the growth in the number of cases from people failing to take protective measures.
Rates especially soared in Russia’s two largest cities – Moscow and Saint Petersburg – she added, where many people use public transport.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that the capital has seen infections more than double, calling the dynamics of the coronavirus spread "huge."
Moscow officials are monitoring the situation and will protect Muscovites with measures suitable for the situation, he said.
– Requirements and incentives
On Wednesday, in several Russian regions, including the capital and the greater Moscow area, authorities ordered mandatory vaccination for service industry employees, introducing penalties for failure to comply.
Several universities are also considering banning unvaccinated students from attending full-time education.
Some regions are encouraging people to get vaccinated with additional holidays and other bonuses.
Although Russia was the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine – Sputnik V – it lags behind in the rate of vaccinated people, with only about 10% of the population having gotten a shot.
Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 3.83 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 177 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US’ Johns Hopkins University.
The US, India, and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries.
