12,126 new infections: Russia experiences worst-ever day for Covid-19 cases, beating record from height of spring lockdown

In the past 24-hour period, Russia has surpassed its record for the most Covid-19 cases registered in one day. The previous peak was reached in mid-May while the country was in lockdown.

The latest figure of 12,126 brings the overall number of infections across the country to 1,272,238 and, of the cases recorded on Thursday, the worst-affected regions were the country's two biggest cities, Moscow (3,701) and St. Petersburg (469).

The capital has been hit hardest of all Russian regions, and was the site of the first known pair of cases of the disease, on January 31. Despite having around 10 percent of the country’s population, a quarter (321,812) of the entire country’s confirmed infections have been found in Moscow.

After infections dropped sharply over summer, recorded cases of Covid-19 rose rapidly with the fall, jumping in less than two months to five-figure sums daily.

As things stand, there is no lockdown in Russia. Earlier this year, in the spring, the country saw some of the world's strictest measures, with Moscow residents being restricted from leaving their apartments for anything other than food, medical help, or walking pets. The restrictions were partially lifted on June 16, with cafes and restaurants allowed to open on terraces.

READ MORE: 73-year-old Russian Church leader Patriarch Kirill to self-isolate after coming into contact with person infected by coronavirus

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the need for Russians to wear masks and to comply with all measures, warning that case numbers will rise even further if citizens refuse to follow the rules. Last week, Peskov denied that a second lockdown was even being considered.

According to official numbers, Russia has the fourth-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, behind the US (7,607,250), India (6,906,151), and Brazil (5,028,444). When it comes to deaths, Russia (22,257) is doing much better, with fewer Covid-related fatalities than, for instance, the UK (42,682), Italy (36,083), and France (32,539). However, some have questioned the accuracy of Russia’s official data, with the number of excess deaths over the summer exceeding the Covid-19 mortality numbers by more than 3 to 1.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!