MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Moscow specialist confirmed 730 new coronavirus cases - the highest daily increase since June 30.
The total case count in Moscow is now 272,523, although most of these people (231,483 patients or 85% of all cases) have already recovered. Currently, 36,034 people are sick, which is the minimum number since April 24.
The death count in the capital has exceeded 5,000, although the lethality rate remains low - about 1.48% of all cases. Since mid-July, less than 20 people die from COVID-19 every day.
Incidence on the rise?
Moscow authorities link the spike in cases with increased activity of residents. The new academic year has begun, many residents have returned from vacation and to their offices from teleworking, the tourist flow has increased, though those are not the only reasons. For instance, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin mentioned the increased volumes of testing. According to the mayor, Moscow conducts up to 100,000-110,000 tests every day, while previously it only did about 80,000. Meanwhile, only 1.5% of tests return positive results, a decrease from 1.7% in July.
The mayor underscored that the rate of patients who develop pneumonia and require hospitalization is also receding.
"The situation with the severe cases and patients on ventilators remains stable," he noted.
Overall, about 60% of hospital beds for coronavirus patients in Moscow remain unoccupied.
A new quarantine?
The Moscow authorities consider the situation in the city stable, despite certain increase in incidence, and do not plan to introduce additional restrictions, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said at a meeting, attended by President Vladimir Putin. Sobyanin underscored that wearing masks in public transport and in stores and complying with requirements for businesses would be enough.
According to the mayor, the capital authorities are "ready for any negative scenario," but believe that "the situation in the upcoming weeks and months will remain under control."