Covid-19: Russia reaches record number of deaths, vaccination campaign is slipping

The Russian authorities officially counted, Thursday, August 12, 2021, 808 deaths from Covid during the last 24 hours (illustration image).

REUTERS - Anton Vaganov

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For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Russia counts more than 800 dead in 24 hours this Thursday, August 12.

Proof of the virulence of Covid-19 in the country, but also an illustration of the difficulties experienced by the vaccination campaign despite multiple incentives from the authorities.

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With our correspondent in Moscow, 

Jean-Didier Revoin

It had been several weeks since the daily counts oscillated around this symbolic threshold.

But since Thursday a step has been taken.

Russian authorities have officially counted 808 deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Since the start of the pandemic and until last June, there has been an excess mortality of 531,000 people.

One of the highest figures in the world, both in absolute terms and in proportion to population.

A more than disappointing assessment when one considers that Russia was the first country to register a vaccine against Covid-19, a year ago.

Less than 20% of Russians vaccinated

But it is clear that the

vaccination campaign is slipping

.

Sputnik V is not recognized in Europe, many Russians do not see the point of being vaccinated for travel.

On the other hand, many are reluctant to be injected with a vaccine developed so quickly.

To improve vaccination coverage, Moscow, for example, has

forced

60% of employees in the service sector

to be vaccinated

.

Otherwise, they will no longer be paid.

But even with such an incentive, independent polls show that less than 20% of the population has received two doses of the vaccine.

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To read also: Covid-19: in Russia, vaccination to the penalty

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