While the indicators are better in many European countries, Russia seems to be fighting against contaminations and deaths which continue to increase.

Indeed, Russia recorded a new record of daily deaths due to Covid-19 on Friday, vaccination remaining sluggish and containment measures absent despite the wave of the Delta variant which has hit the country since June.

According to the daily toll provided by the Russian government's crisis center, 828 people have died from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

The previous record of 820 deaths had been reached twice, on September 23 and August 26, 2021.

Most bereaved country in Europe

In total, 202,273 people have died as a result of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to a restrictive definition, given by the government, of deaths due to Covid-19.

Russian statistics agency Rosstat, which has a broader definition, reported more than 350,000 dead at the end of July 2021.

Since June, Russia has been hit hard by the Delta variant of the coronavirus, known to be more contagious, and has failed to stop its progression.

The number of new cases reached 21,379 on Friday.

Vaccination, against a background of mistrust of the authorities, has been stalling for months despite the design of several national vaccines.

According to a count from the Gogov website, only 28.4% of the Russian population is fully vaccinated to date.

The public authorities, to preserve a sluggish economy for years, refuse to adopt restrictive health measures or containment.

Wearing a mask, however compulsory, is very uncertain in public places and distancing instructions are rarely observed.

Second outbreak of the Delta variant in Moscow

The city of Moscow admitted this week that it was facing a second outbreak of the Delta variant, after a first in the summer.

Contaminations jumped there by 24% over a week, and hospitalizations by 15%.

The Russian presidency once again ruled out any major restrictions on Thursday, while since containment in spring 2020 no strict measures have been imposed to protect the economy.

President Vladimir Putin, contact case after the appearance of a major epidemic focus of dozens of patients in the Kremlin, has been in isolation since the beginning of last week.

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  • Covid 19

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