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Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus spread coefficient in Russia up to 0.94, say TASS calculations

In Moscow it increased to 1

MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The coronavirus spread indicator in Russia rose slightly on Saturday to 0.94, whereas in Moscow it increased to 1, according to TASS’ calculations based on the data from the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

In all ten regions with the largest number of cases the coefficient does not exceed 1. In the Irkutsk Region it equals 0.99, in the Voronezh Region - 0.98, in the Nizhny Novgorod and Rostov regions - 0.96, in the Sverdlovsk Region - 0.91, in the Arkhangelsk Region and St. Petersburg - 0.9.

In the Krasnoyarsk Region it remained at the lowest level since August of 0.87, whereas in the Moscow Region it slightly increased to 0.84.

The coronavirus spread coefficient shows how many people on average are infected from one person before isolation. Along with other criteria, it was used to determine whether the regions were ready to gradually lift the restrictive measures introduced last spring to fight the pandemic. Currently the indicator is used, for instance, to make decisions on restoring regular international passenger service. According to the sanitary watchdog’s recommendations, a border with a particular country may be opened if the coefficient there has not surpassed 1 for one week.

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