Russia reported 52 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 199 and marking a 35% jump in cases in the past 24 hours.
The news comes as Russia confirmed its first coronavirus-related death, a 79-year-old woman who had pre-existing health conditions. Pathologists said the woman, who tested positive for coronavirus, died from a blood clot.
The new cases are spread across 23 Russian regions, the consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said. The watchdog said that there have been zero deaths directly caused by coronavirus.
The bulk of Russia’s coronavirus cases are in Moscow, with 98 people infected there.
Medical experts have questioned whether Russia’s official coronavirus numbers — which are much lower than in European countries — reflect reality, but Russian officials deny that they are underreporting the number of cases.
