As life begins to return to normal, World Health Organization says Russia has reached coronavirus plateau

An official representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted on Friday that Russia's large scale testing for Covid-19 helped to tackle the pandemic.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Dr. Margaret Harris, official spokesperson for the WHO, explained that Russia appeared to be “showing a plateau.” According to news agency TASS, Harris said that Russia had done well by testing so many people, allowing authorities to “help identify many cases.”

When asked about the June 24 Victory Day parade, due to be held in Moscow’s Red Square, Harris explained that the official WHO advice is not against holding mass events, but that it is essential to “conduct a risk assessment” and “develop safety measures” in order to prevent the transmission of infection.

In turn, Dr. Melita Vujnovic, the WHO Representative to the Russian Federation, explained that there is no room for complacency.

“All countries, including those that have fewer cases and are easing restrictions, should continue to identify and verify all suspicious cases, isolate and treat confirmed cases, and keep track of all contacts, promote safe hygiene practices and respiratory etiquette, protect healthcare professionals and increase the capabilities of their healthcare system,” she said.

According to Vujnovic, measures introduced by the Russian authorities have been shown to be effective.

“At the moment, there is a decrease in growth rates, which indicates effectiveness of measures applied and their observance by the population,” she explained.

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