COVID-19 Numbers Cause Panic in Russia

On Saturday, the Russian national working group specializing in combating the coronavirus reported 17,906 new cases of the virus, more than double the daily infection count since the beginning of June. More than half of the new infections were recorded in Moscow, where the number of cases has tripled this month. The surge in infection numbers has raised concerns among officials who have tightened measures to curb the outbreak. This week, Moscow and its surrounding area, as well as two other Russian regions, mandated vaccinations for workers in the retail, education, and other service sectors. Moscow also closed food courts located in shopping centers and limited the operation of restaurants and bars in the capital to takeout orders from 11 PM to 6 AM. Russians are largely resistant to vaccinations, with only about 12 percent of the population having received a vaccine dose. Approximately 5.3 million cases have been recorded in the country, which has a population of 146 million, with 128,911 deaths attributed to the virus; however, experts believe these figures are underreported.