MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that medical professionals could be redistributed between Russia’s regions to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the event of their shortage.

He told reporters that this had been done "during the first outbreak when medical workers from Moscow visited many regions, and medical professionals from other regions were likewise sent to those areas where the situation was more complex."

"There is no doubt that, if regions get in touch with the [government] crisis center, decisions on such mutual assistance in terms of personnel will be made," he said.

According to Peskov, the spread of COVID-19 can be uneven, so the healthcare system is facing different pressure across regions. "Redistribution of capacities in this case is quite possible and acceptable," he said.

When asked what information the Kremlin was guided by on the coronavirus mortality rate, Peskov stressed that those were "official figures from the [government] crisis center."

"They show a lower mortality rate than this past spring," he said, adding that this figure is lower than in other countries.

To date, 1,312,310 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,024,235 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 22,722 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.