Russia’s infections reach the highest level so far this year

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s daily coronavirus infections have soared to their highest level so far this year as authorities have struggled to control a surge in new cases amid a slow pace in vaccinations and few restrictions in place. The daily coronavirus death toll topped 900 for a second straight day with 924 new deaths reported Thursday. They reached a record 929 the previous day. Russia already has Europe’s highest death toll in the pandemic at over 213,000. And a conservative way of calculating the number suggests the actual number could be even higher. On Thursday, the government’s coronavirus task force reported on Thursday 27,550 new confirmed cases. That’s a nearly 10% rise from the previous day. New infections in Moscow soared by nearly 50% to 5,404 cases.