Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Breaks Daily Coronavirus Record With 20K New Infections

Moscow remains the epicenter of the outbreak. Alexander Nemenov / AFP

Russia has broken its daily coronavirus record with more than 20,000 new infections reported Friday and almost 380 deaths.

The 20,582 new coronavirus cases shatter Wednesday’s record by more than 800 and push the total caseload to 1,733,440, the world’s fourth-highest number. 

More than a quarter of the newly infected Russians were asymptomatic, the national coronavirus information center said. 

The virus killed 378 people, 11 short of a record set Wednesday and bringing the national death toll to 29,887. 

While Moscow remains the epicenter of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak with 6,253 new cases, St. Petersburg has for the third consecutive day notched up more than 1,000 new infections. 

Russia’s Covid-19 information center said 16,966 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 1,296,124.

Cases continue rising as Russian regions outside Moscow report severe shortages of hospital beds, staff and medicine. 

Authorities continue to rule out a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the pandemic, opting instead for targeted measures like mandating masks in public and requiring some schoolchildren and employees to study or work from home.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more