Russian media reports says Russia reported its highest single-day COVID-19 case tally since the start of the pandemic on Monday as some regions imposed a workplace shutdown to combat a surge in infections and deaths.
RIA Novosti news agency reported yesterday that the Russian government’s coronavirus task force tallied 37,930 new confirmed cases in 24 hours, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The previous record number of daily COVID-19 cases in Russia was registered on October 23 (27,678) and 35,660 new COVID-19 cases were reportedly registered in the Russian Federation on October 24.
According to RIA Novosti, the growth rate has increased from 0.43 to 0.46 percent.
The Associated Press (AP) says the task force reported 1,069 more COVID-19 deaths yesterday, slightly fewer than a record of 1,075 reached over the weekend.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russians not to go to work between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7, when the country will observe an extended holiday. During that time, most state organizations and private businesses, except for those operating key infrastructure and a few others, are to halt work.
In some of Russia’s 85 regions where the situation is particularly grave, Putin said the nonworking period could begin earlier and be extended beyond November 7. Six of them — Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Perm, Samara and Voronezh — started the off-work period Monday.
entertainment venues and most stores closed for 11 days along with kindergartens and schools. Restaurants and cafes will only be open for takeout or delivery orders during that period. Food stores and pharmacies can stay open.
Access to museums, theaters, concert halls and other venues will be limited to those holding digital codes on their smartphones to prove vaccination or past illness, a practice that will remain in place after November 7.
Putin has also told local officials to order unvaccinated people older than 60 to stay home and close nightclubs and other entertainment venues.
Overall, Russia has registered over 8.2 million confirmed virus cases and 231,669 deaths, by far the highest death toll in Europe and the fifth-highest in the world after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to the AP.
