Russia’s second-largest city St. Petersburg recorded almost 30% more deaths in May 2020 compared to its average May total over the past decade, official data said Wednesday.
St. Petersburg saw 6,427 deaths in May this year, about 28% more than the nine-year average of 5,027 for May, according to civil registry data.
The figures, first published by Reuters, suggest that more people may have died from Covid-19 in St. Petersburg last month than its officially reported toll of 171. Russian officials have warned that the country could see a spike in mortality in May, around two to three weeks after infections peaked in late April.
St. Petersburg’s mortality data comes after Moscow health authorities more than doubled the Russian capital’s April coronavirus death count last week.
The numbers follow weeks of questions surrounding Russia’s relatively low coronavirus death rate of around 1% despite having the world’s third-highest number of cases. Major Western outlets faced accusations of spreading fake news after reporting that Russia’s coronavirus-related deaths could be 70% higher than officially confirmed.
St. Petersburg’s health committee also announced Wednesday that it would change its methodology for counting coronavirus fatalities, which it said would speed up reporting. Russia’s Health Ministry announced last week that it would no longer include asymptomatic coronavirus patients in its daily count of new infections and deaths.
Alexei Yakovlev, infectious diseases department head at St. Petersburg State University, told Reuters that “pretty much all recent pneumonia deaths” can be traced to Covid-19.
“There have never been so many cases of pneumonia, not ever,” Yakovlev was quoted as saying.
“And since there’s no other flu or infection going around right now, it leads one to believe that [the figures] are due to the coronavirus,” he added.
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.
Remind me later.
