Moscow: Most of Russia on Monday ends with a week’s paid holiday aimed at limiting the spread of Coronavirus, even though the country saw thousands of new cases and more than 1,000 deaths per day.
President Vladimir Putin ordered a paid holiday period from 30 October to 7 November in an effort to sustain infection and deaths that were exacerbated by a slow vaccination drive.
Individual areas have the authority to extend the period but on Monday only five have done it, including the western region of Bryansk and the Siberian Tomsk region.
A number of regions have introduced or expanded the requirements for evidence of vaccination to visit restaurants, cafes and shopping centers.
Moscow, a pandemic center in Russia, still does not require proof of vaccination for most public activities.
With more than 8.8 million cases registered since the start of Pandemi, Russia is one of the most devastated countries in the world and this awesome autumn wave has seen infections and deaths reach a new record.
On Monday, the authorities reported 39,400 new cases and 1,190 deaths for the previous 24 hours.
The highest number for new infections – 41,335 – recorded on Saturday, while the highest number of new deaths – 1,195 – reported last Thursday.
Russia has launched several homemade vaccines, including Sputnik V, but only about a third of the population is fully inoculated.
The authorities have been accused of shrinking a pandemic and the numbers of the Rosstat statistical body in October showed almost double the death of Covid compared to the government’s calculation.
Rosstat said 44,265 people died of Coronavirus in September – almost doubling official government figures – bringing the number of virus total agencies to nearly 450,000, the highest in Europe.