Russia has confirmed a record daily coronavirus death toll at 320 fatalities Tuesday as the country seeks to slow a record-breaking surge in cases with new restrictions.
The previous record death toll of 317 Covid-19 deaths was recorded less than a week ago last Wednesday.
Tuesday’s increase brings Russia’s overall Covid-19 death toll, as reported by the national information center that collates daily figures from regional centers, to 26,589. Monthly state statistics and experts have suggested the real death toll is at least double that figure.
Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak with around one-quarter of daily Covid-19 deaths, confirmed 61 fatalities. The city now accounts for 6,503 of Russia’s Covid-19 deaths.
The record daily death toll comes one day after Russia saw its highest daily increase of 17,347 new Covid-19 infections. It added 16,550 new infections Tuesday.
Russia’s official number of cases stands at 1,547,774, the fourth-highest in the world.
The surge in new infections and deaths comes as authorities announced a nationwide mask mandate starting Wednesday and ordered restaurants and other nightlife establishments to close after 11 p.m.
Authorities had introduced unpopular lockdown measures in the spring, including bans on taking non-essential walks outside, when Russia saw fewer than 10,000 daily Covid-19 cases on average.
During the second wave, they have introduced targeted measures at what are deemed to be Covid-19 hotspots and are urging residents to follow health guidelines until mass production of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine begins in the next few months.
Russia Says Foiled ‘Terror’ Attack in North Caucasus
Russia said Thursday it had killed a suspected militant planning a terror attack in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) in a statement announced that an operation to «prevent the preparation of a terrorist attack» was carried out Thursday.
«A bandit who put up armed resistance was neutralized,» it said, adding that arms, ammunition and a suicide belt were discovered on the scene.
NAK said no civilians or law enforcement were injured during the operation.
Video released by NAK showed cordoned-off streets and several Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in full camouflage slowly approaching a low-rise brick building.
The announcement comes less than a month after Russia said its security forces swept up 19 suspected Islamists during coordinated raids across the North Caucasus and annexed Crimea.
In the 1990s Moscow fought two brutal wars against separatists in Chechnya, a North Caucasus region across the border from Dagestan.
Attacks on police have decreased in recent years in the North Caucasus, but Moscow remains in conflict with militants from across the region.
In December last year, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the North Caucasus region of Karachay-Cherkessia, injuring six police officers.
The FSB said later that month it foiled an attack planned by a Dagestan cell loyal to the Islamic State group.
