The coronavirus (COVID-19) from China is currently not circulating in Russia and only the European strain can be found there, according to Anna Popova, the head of the federal consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.
According to Popova, Russia has overcome the first “wave” of the coronavirus pandemic quite successfully.
“We have quickly developed testing systems and response measures, we have prevented [circulation] of the pathogen from China.
“I can take full responsibility to say that the novel coronavirus imported directly from China is not circulating in the Russian Federation,” Popova told the coordination council of human rights commissioners.
Meanwhile, The Moscow Times reports that Russia has confirmed 24,326 coronavirus cases and a new record of 491 deaths.
It said in a report published on Nov. 24 that residents of Perm and Voronezh were among those most likely to contract coronavirus within Russia based on an analysis by the research arm of Russia’s dominant lender Sber.
According to the Moscow Times, residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg are among those with the lowest risk of getting infected.
It further reported that St. Petersburg would order the closure of all food courts and ice rinks located in shopping malls, while all sporting events would be held without spectators beginning Nov. 23, as announced by Governor Alexander Beglov on Thursday.
Cinemas, theaters and concert halls will be allowed to fill no more than 25% of seats, according to restrictions taking effect from Dec. 1.
The newspaper quoted Health Minister Mikhail Murashko as saying on Nov. 19 that a total of 221,000 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections were undergoing treatment across Russia’s hospitals with approximately 5,000 of them requiring mechanical ventilation.
