Russia Reports New Daily Record For Coronavirus Cases

Russia has reported a new daily record in coronavirus cases as authorities struggle to cope with surging cases in Moscow and elsewhere.

The October 10 announcement mirrors similar increases reported in other European countries.

The government's national task force reported 12,846 new cases over the previous 24 hours, bringing the number of cumulative cases to nearly 1.3 million. Many of the new cases have been reported in the capital, Moscow.

Russia currently has the world's fourth-highest caseload after the United States, India, and Brazil.

The number of new cases has been growing steadily since early September, but officials have been reluctant to reimpose tough new restrictions.

In Moscow, many residents have been ignoring orders to wear masks in public. Moscow employers, public and private, will be forced to have at least 30 percent of their workers work remotely as of October 12.

As in other countries, local and national Russian officials had eased some COVID-related restrictions over the summer, as case numbers appeared to plateau, and medical facilities coped with existing cases.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, has aggressively promoted the development of a new vaccine, with regulators approving it for use before conducting crucial Phase III testing or releasing data publicly.

President Vladimir Putin said this week that around 50 people in his inner circle, including staff and family, had been vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine.