WHO notes ‘alarming increase’ in Russian Covid-19 cases as the country once again breaks its daily record of confirmed infections

The World Health Organization has registered its concern about the Covid-19 situation in Russia, amid a sharp increase in the number of cases. On Friday, the country confirmed 15,150 new infections, breaking the daily record.

However, the organization noted that the growth in Russian cases is similar to Europe as a whole, and rate is increasing throughout the continent.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in the number of cases in the Russian Federation,” the WHO's european office told Moscow news agency RIA Novosti. “The number of cases increases when measures for physical distancing are relaxed, and people are relaxed about the danger of Covid-19.”

In the last month, the number of confirmed infections in Russia has skyrocketed. On September 16, just 5,670 cases were recorded, meaning that the number has risen almost 300 percent in 30 days. In response, many Russian regions are increasing their own local prevention measures. From October 17, the Moscow Region will shut all nightlife after midnight. In Moscow city itself, partying will be allowed, but revelers must sign in with a QR-code before partying.

Further afield, the southern region of Rostov put restrictions on nightclubs, indoor children's playgrounds and food courts, as well as obliging employers to make 30 percent of their workforce work from home.

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The ever-worsening situation in Russia is also mirrored across its western border, in Ukraine, where the country is looking at a “worst-case scenario” of 20,000 deaths before the end of 2020. According to Pavel Kovtonyuk, head of the Center for Health Economics at the Kiev School of Economics, Ukraine is the worst place in Europe for testing. Latest government information suggests the country has confirmed 5,992 new infections over the past 24 hours.

Official government numbers show that Russia has recorded 1,369,313 cases of Covid-19, which is the fourth most in the world, behind the US (7,981,009), India (7,370,468), and Brazil (5,169,386).

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