COVID-19: Cases top 10,000 as Russia sees record spike

MOSCOW

Russia’s daily count of coronavirus cases keeps growing by the day, reaching a record 1,459 on Thursday, taking the country’s tally past 10,000.

The death toll stands at 76 after 13 fatalities – also the highest daily count to date – were reported over the past 24 hours, according to the coronavirus task force.

A statement said 10,131 COVID-19 cases have now been confirmed in 81 regions of Russia, with 698 patients – up 118 since Wednesday – having recovered so far.

The capital Moscow remains the country’s worst-hit area, accounting for 857 of the new and 6,698 of the total cases in the country, the statement added.

Meanwhile, another government body said efforts were being made to increase daily testing capacity.

More than one million people have been tested in Russia so far and about 171,000 are under surveillance as suspected coronavirus cases, according to the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.

Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Nearly 1.5 million cases have been reported worldwide, with nearly 89,000 deaths, and almost 331,000 recoveries.