COVID-19: Russia cases top 4,000, death toll at 34

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia reported 601 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Friday.

The total number of COVID-19 cases reached 4,149, while the death toll stands at 34, according to Russia’s coronavirus task force.

Moscow remains the worst-affected area as 448 of the new cases were reported in the capital, the team said in a statement.

The total number of recoveries is up to 281 after 46 more people were discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours.

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin extended the “non-working period” until April 30 to stem the spread of the virus.

In a televised address, he said “the peak of the pandemic has not passed yet" and that severity of lockdown measures will differ depending on each region’s situation.

Russia has taken several measures to stem the spread of the virus, including lockdowns in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and several other regions.

The entry of foreign nationals is banned in the country, and international air traffic remains suspended.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 181 countries and regions, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than one million cases (almost 1,018,000) have been reported worldwide so far, with the global death toll nearing 53,200, and over 212,000 recoveries.