MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. 28 patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died in Moscow in the past 24 hours, with the total number of deaths from the disease reaching 261, the Moscow anti-coronavirus crisis center informs.

"28 patients diagnosed with pneumonia who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in Moscow [in the past 24 hours]. "The majority of patients had pre-existing conditions, among them: hypertension, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, cancer, aortic aneurysm," the crisis center stated.

The crisis center informed that the age of the patients who succumbed to the disease ranges from 30 to 93 years. The 30-year-old man was treated at a federal hospital. He was diagnosed with double pneumonia with subtotal distribution and a haemorrhage component. He was also suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus," the message says.

"The crisis center stresses that seniors and people with chronic conditions must strictly adhere to the self-isolation regime," the official message notes.

All Moscow residents regardless of their age must self-isolate at home until May 1. These measures were introduced to restrict people’s movements within the city. Starting April 15, a digital permit is required to move around Moscow and the Moscow Region.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 2,484,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 170,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 652,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.

To date, a total of 52,763 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 3,873 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 456 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.