10,000 infections in 24 hours

The Russian government reported that it registered 9,623 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours., the largest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, which now total 124,054 infections, with an epicenter in Moscow, where the mayor threatened to reduce the number of travel permits.

Meanwhile, the death toll across the country rose to 1,222 after 57 people died in the past 24 hours, the Russian Coronavirus Crisis Response Center reported.

Since late March, Russia has implemented movement restrictions to try to stop the local spread of the pandemic.

In the Russian capital, the area with the highest number of cases, special free movement permits were issued for people affected by essential services, and the rest of its inhabitants can only leave their homes to buy, walk their dogs and throw away the trash.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the restrictive measures, called non-working days, to continue until May 11 inclusive, when the country finishes celebrating the Labor Day and Victory Day holidays, local media reported.

Despite a relatively low number of cases and deaths compared to the United States, Italy and Spain, which are two of the countries most affected by the disease, Russia’s infection curve does not yet seem to have reached its peak, for what measures would be maintained.

In this sense, the Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, called on the Muscovites to maintain the isolation measures and warned that both the number of infections and critical patients is increasing.

Sobyanin reported that studies show that the real number of infected Muscovites is around 2%, that is, around 250,000 people, despite the fact that official statistics only register 62,658 cases of Covid-19 in the capital.

“And this is the smallest magnitude among the major cities in the world hit by the pandemic. We have been able to contain the spread of the infection thanks to the discipline and support of the Muscovites for self-isolation measures,” wrote the mayor on his blog, as reproduced by the EFE news agency.

Sobyanin indicated that in recent days the number of tests performed on the population has increased considerably, which has allowed “duplication of detection” of positives.

“This is a great advantage, because it allows to contain the spread of the infection in the initial stage and provide assistance in a timely manner to the affected Muscovites,” explained the mayor.

“The threat is obviously on the rise,” said Sobyanin, warning that authorities in the capital may reduce the number of digital permits issued to travel around the city if the situation worsens.

In recent days, it was known that the contagions reached the highest level of the Russian government, when it was confirmed that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the second highest-ranking official in the country after Putin, tested positive for coronavirus and temporarily departed from his position.

On Friday, another member of the Russian Cabinet, the construction minister, Vladimir Yakushev, announced that he had been diagnosed with the virus and that he would be treated in the hospital, while Dmitry Volkov, another official deputy, also tested positive.

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