The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, during a meeting of the coordinating council for the fight against coronavirus infection under the government, noted that in Russia there is a clear trend towards a decrease in the incidence of COVID-19.

“This is the first week that the incidence has decreased by 9.8%,” she said.

According to her, 85% of all cases of coronavirus infection were registered in 83 subjects of the Russian Federation, with the exception of the capital regions.

The decline is observed in 51 out of 85 regions of Russia, in Moscow it amounted to 45.5%, the Moscow region - 51%, in St. Petersburg - 21% over the past week. 

Popova added that in 97% of cases registered in Russia, coronavirus infection is asymptomatic or in the form of SARS.

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“I want to appeal to our citizens today that the obvious improvement in the epidemiological situation today is not a reason not to continue the vaccination campaign or to abandon the measures that have already been taken and developed.

Today they must be strictly observed,” she stressed.

At the same time, the head of Rospotrebnadzor noted that the peculiarities of the spread of the Omicron strain make it possible to mitigate some anti-epidemic measures in Russia.

“We are reviewing and preparing materials for such changes regarding museums, regarding theaters, regarding fitness centers and catering - and here our recommendations can be revised.

Only for the situation that is associated with the omicron option, Popova explained.

Over the past 24 hours, 17,294 people with coronavirus infection were hospitalized in Russia - the figure increased by 95.7% compared to the previous day.

In total, over the past 24 hours, 135,172 new cases of COVID-19 were detected in the country, of which the largest number were in St. Petersburg (6575), Krasnoyarsk Territory (5650), Novosibirsk Region (5128).

In Moscow, the daily increase in infected COVID-19 was 4250.

During this time, 164,293 patients have fully recovered, 796 people have died.

The total number of coronavirus cases registered in Russia has reached 15,657,928.  

According to the Moscow operational headquarters for monitoring the situation with coronavirus, 646 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in the capital per day.

“499 people are on mechanical ventilation,” the report says.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted that the fight against the spread of coronavirus continues throughout Russia, and the epidemiological situation differs depending on the region.

According to him, there are still “many sick people” in the country.

The head of the Cabinet added that the main circulating strain in Russia is Omicron, and experts allow the emergence of new mutations.

“You should not think that COVID-19 is finally defeated.

The consequences of the disease can be the most serious.

So now we need to take action.

The best way is to get vaccinated, and if the time has come, then re-vaccinate, ”Mishustin emphasized.

He also said that the government will additionally allocate almost 3.5 billion rubles for special social payments to doctors who work in military units, internal affairs bodies, the fire service and other departments.

“All of them, just like the civilian medical staff, are today at the forefront of the fight against infection.

By providing assistance to those who are sick with covid, they often risk their own health, ”Mishustin noted.

In turn, the head of the Ministry of Health, Mikhail Murashko, said that the number of patients with coronavirus infection in Russia decreased by 22% over the week, while the number of cases is still growing in 14 regions.

“The number of observed patients is higher than it was in the fourth wave,” he said.

The minister clarified that about 188 thousand people with coronavirus remain in Russian hospitals, most of them are elderly people - 65%.

“The vast majority of them are not vaccinated,” Murashko stressed.

According to him, almost 19 thousand patients are in serious condition.

In addition, Murashko said that the Ministry of Health had completed work on a new version of guidelines for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

It included, among other things, new drugs registered in the Russian Federation for the treatment of patients with coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan has registered the Russian coronavirus vaccine for teenagers Sputnik M.

This was reported in the press service of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

RDIF emphasized that Kazakhstan became the first foreign country to approve the use of Sputnik M.

The fund noted that, unlike drugs from foreign manufacturers that use the vaccine for adolescents in the same dosage as for adults, Sputnik M was adapted specifically for adolescents.

Sputnik M is a two-component preparation similar to the Sputnik V vaccine, based on the same well-studied and safe human adenoviral vector platform for over 30 years.

The registration of Sputnik M in Russia was carried out after successful clinical trials of the vaccine," the foundation stressed.