Russia posted an all-time record of 828 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday as hospitalizations shot up in Moscow and several regions reportedly began reimposing restrictions after nationwide elections last weekend.
The government’s Covid-19 information center said the country recorded 21,379 new cases over the past 24 hours.
The new high for deaths comes a day after the country recorded 820 fatalities, equalling the previous record.
Russia has the fifth-largest number of recorded Covid-19 cases in the world and the highest death toll in Europe.
At least six regions started reintroducing Covid-19 restrictions shortly after the three-day polls wrapped up Sunday, according to Mozhem Obyasnit, an investigative outlet that previously operated as Open Media until authorities declared it a “foreign agent” and blocked its website.
Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, which oversees nationwide efforts against the coronavirus, warned of “serious” growth in new infections in 36 of Russia’s 85 regions.
Moscow’s Covid response center said Wednesday that hospitalizations in the Russian capital rose 15% this week compared with the previous week and that new infections have risen by 24%. The Delta variant accounted for 100% of all new infections.
Citing unnamed sources, the Meduza news website reported Wednesday that the Moscow Mayor’s Office recently met to discuss returning to remote work, QR codes for restaurant diners and self-isolation for the elderly and the chronically ill in preparation for a fourth wave of the pandemic.
The Kremlin said Thursday it was not considering reimposing Covid-19 restrictions.
