Russia's coronavirus deaths, cases keep rising

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Despite the authorities' stricter measures to combat COVID-19, new cases and deaths continue to climb in Russia, with the country's single-day fatalities hitting an all-time high of over 750 on Wednesday.

The country’s coronavirus emergency task force reported a new single-day high of 786 fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths to 145,278.

Over the same period, 23,827 people tested positive for COVID-19, taking the tally to 5.85 million and the number of active cases to 454,241, while recoveries increased by 21,269 to 5.25 million in the last 24 hours.

Russia is currently fourth in the world by the number of coronavirus cases and the worst-hit country in Europe.

The spread of the Delta strain of COVID-19, which is more contagious and difficult to cure, has been cited by authorities for the current surge in fatalities.

In June, authorities in several Russian regions, including Moscow and its surrounding Moscow Oblast, ordered mandatory vaccination of many categories of employees, introducing penalties for non-compliance.

Additional measures were announced in Moscow, including restrictions on visiting eateries, entertainment, and sports venues.

More measures were introduced in the capital in July to stem the rise, including mandatory isolation and PCR tests for people suffering from flu-like illnesses to break the chain of infection.

Officials are preparing reserve capabilities for COVID-19 patients to prevent any crises in the health care system. However, a lockdown is seen as a last resort and will only be introduced if other efforts do not work.