A significant increase in the number of coronavirus cases is again being observed in Russia. The number of patients dying from Covid-19 has reached a record high of 820 deaths per day. This peak was reached in August. According to Rospotrebnadzor, the increase in the number of infections is occurring in almost half of the country’s regions.
In Russia, 21,438 new cases of Covid-19 were registered over the past day, the Operational Center for Combating Coronavirus reported on Thursday (the day before there were 19,706 cases). The daily increase is the largest in over a month. This figure corresponds to the values of August 19, when 21,058 cases were detected. The last time more than 21,000 cases were reported in one day was August 21.
The number of coronavirus deaths among infected people has reached a new peak since the beginning of the pandemic, matching the maximum recorded on August 26. According to the headquarters report, 820 people died in the last 24 hours. In Moscow, 54 coronavirus cases resulted in death, and in St. Petersburg, 53 people died (the highest number since the beginning of August). The total number of deaths, according to the operational headquarters, reached 201,445 on Thursday.
According to Rosstat (last published at the end of August), about 365 thousand people have died in Russia from causes related to Covid-19 during the pandemic. The authorities explain the difference in mortality data between the operational center and Rosstat by different methods of calculation.
In Moscow, there has been a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases – 3,445 new cases were identified in the city in one day (compared to 1,991 the day before). This is the highest number since the end of July, and it is the first time since the beginning of August that the number of cases has exceeded 3,000. The number of hospitalizations is also increasing – within one day in the capital, 774 people were hospitalized, of which 303 are on mechanical ventilation.
The day before, Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said that compared to last week, the number of hospitalizations had increased by 15%. “The presidential administration is not discussing the issue of implementing a lockdown in the country due to the worsening situation with the coronavirus,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. “At the federal level – at least in the presidential administration – there are no discussions on this matter. Of course, the central government is closely monitoring the situation. And especially the heads of the regions are closely monitoring it – after all, they have special powers,” Peskov said. In 2020, President Vladimir Putin delegated the authority to combat the coronavirus to governors. Anti-COVID measures in the regions depend on the regional authorities.
“The heads of the regions know better, but as far as I know, despite the increase in numbers, no concrete decisions have been made so far,” Peskov added. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. End of story. Podcast advertising.
The federal authorities had announced on the eve about the intensive growth of COVID-19 cases in the country. “We see growth for the first time in eight weeks, the ninth week immediately shows growth of 6.8%. In other words, the growth is intense. If last week we mentioned that we had only 11 subjects in the growth phase, last week we added another 25, and now there are 36 subjects in the growth phase,” said Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, in an interview with NTV. According to Popova, such dynamics can be explained by the seasonality of respiratory infections: “The second decade of September, like all acute respiratory viral infections, including coronavirus, also contributes to an increase.” At the same time, the head of Rospotrebnadzor emphasized that the more vaccinated people in the region, the less intensity of the disease spread there.
The Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Anastasia Rakova, also expressed concern about the increase in the number of infections on Wednesday. She reported that in comparison with the previous week, the number of illnesses in the capital had increased by 24% and the number of hospitalizations by 15%. “The reasons for this are clear not only to epidemiologists, but also from the perspective of everyday life. The autumn season, characterized by an increase in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections, as well as a sharp increase in the number of contacts due to the mass return of city residents from vacations and dachas, and the resumption of school activities,” she noted.
The publication “Meduza” (recognized in Russia as a media fulfilling the functions of a foreign agent) wrote on Wednesday, citing its sources, that a meeting was held in the Moscow City Hall dedicated to the new wave of coronavirus infections, during which the possibility of imposing restrictions in the city was discussed. According to the publication, the authorities are preparing to announce, if necessary, the transition to remote work for up to 30% of employees, the introduction of QR codes for visiting cafes and cinemas, as well as mandatory self-isolation for pensioners and people with chronic diseases. At the same time, according to a source close to the mayor’s office, the authorities hope that the large number of vaccinated and previously infected residents will make it easier to deal with the fourth wave of Covid-19 than the previous ones. At the end of last week, according to data from the operational headquarters, Russia detected over 20,000 new coronavirus infections in one day for the first time in almost a month. In Moscow, the daily number of Covid-19 cases began to rise in the second decade of September. On September 16, the number of new infections in the capital exceeded 2,000 and remained at that level for five consecutive days. Last week, President Putin announced self-isolation due to the increasing number of infections. In explaining his decision, he mentioned that “not one, not two, but several dozen people” around him had fallen ill.