Russia’s infections, deaths soar to pandemic’s highest

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has registered the highest daily numbers of new coronavirus infections and deaths since the start of the pandemic as the authorities hoped to slow the spread by introducing a nonworking week. The government coronavirus task force reported 36,339 new confirmed infections Thursday and 1,036 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing Russia’s death toll to 227,389. That is by far the highest in Europe. Russia’s daily infections have been surging for weeks and coronavirus mortality numbers topped 1,000 for the first time over the weekend amid low vaccination rates, broad disregard for precautions and the government’s reluctance to tighten restrictions. Only about 45 million Russians — roughly a third of its nearly 146 million people — are fully vaccinated.