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MOSCOW – Russia on Tuesday reported 973 coronavirus-related deaths, its highest number in a single day since the start of the pandemic, and the government expressed concern about the pace and intensity of new infections.
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“The main feature of the current wave is a rapid increase in the number of cases, as well as a large number of patients whose infection shows rapid progression over two to three days and requires resuscitation,” said Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
He said at a televised government meeting that 1.1 million people were currently being treated for COVID-19 symptoms.
Anna Popova, head of Russia’s consumer health watchdog, said Russian regions are stepping up their efforts to enforce the use of masks in public spaces.
In the Moscow region, authorities ordered that at least 80% of workers in shopping malls, beauty salons, gyms and other public places be vaccinated.
The Kremlin has blamed the growing number of cases on an insufficient number of people who get vaccinated. Russia was quick to develop and launch its Sputnik vaccine when the pandemic struck last year, but uptake has been slow, with many Russians citing distrust of authorities and fear of new medical products.
Reference-torontosun.com