Russian Covid-19 cases hit record high
Russia posted a record number of new Covid-19 cases yesterday as the government has resisted returning to a lockdown to battle the second wave of infections.
There were 12,126 new cases in the past day, breaking the previous record of 11,656 on May 11, according to data from the government’s National Virus Response Centre.
President Vladimir Putin imposed sweeping restrictions for two months during the initial wave of coronavirus infections that helped slow the spread of the illness. However, authorities are hesitant to resume unpopular measures that would hurt the economy, which has so far fared better than initially feared during the pandemic.
Russia has recorded over 50,000 deaths related to Covid-19 and the fourth-most cases globally, after the
US, India and Brazil.
The resurgence in infections has come after schools reopened on Sept 1 and as cooler weather pushes people to spend more time indoors.
Alexei Kudrin, chairman of a state audit agency, said this week that the second wave of the virus means the economic contraction this year will be deeper than the 3.9% the government now forecasts. He has called for new government aid.
In Moscow, the epicentre of the epidemic in Russia, the number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 is at a record high even as the overall number of cases is well below the May peak, Interfax reported on Tuesday, citing Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova.
Moscow has reopened several temporary hospitals to deal with the influx of new patients, sent schoolchildren home on an unplanned two-week vacation and introduced some new restrictions to slow the spread, including urging the elderly not to go out.
However, the capital doesn’t plan to reintroduce a widely unpopular digital travel pass regime that was implemented earlier in the year, Russian news agency Tass reported.
Officials have been eager to downplay the spike in cases.
The situation overall remains under control and a second wave can be avoided if people wear masks and follow social distancing recommendations, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Monday.
The authorities are betting on an unproven vaccine to end the crisis. An inoculation developed by the state-run Gamaleya Center is on track for distribution by the end of the year.