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Coronavirus pandemic

Highest COVID-19 infection rate currently recorded in northwestern Russia, says official

The development of the situation will depend on people’s adherence to anti-COVID measures, head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said

MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. The COVID-19 situation in Russia is tense, and the highest infection rate in the country is currently recorded in the Northwestern Federal District, head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said on Thursday.

"Of course, the current situation is tense. We are documenting the highest figures currently in the Northwestern Federal District, the highest in the country, followed by the Central Federal District. And several days ago, the Far Eastern Federal District joined them," she said on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

According to Popova, the situation in other regions is a little calmer, but "absolutely unstable." The development of the situation will depend on people’s adherence to anti-COVID measures, she said.

About 66% of COVID-19 cases currently documented in Russia are tied to the Delta strain, Popova said.

"About 66% of all strains that we have detected over this period, in June for example, and in early July in Russia are tied to the Delta strain," she said. The official added that the rest of the documented variants are the Alpha strain, "the traditional strain," "some cases of the British strain and others that are not clearly classified but detected in the population."

Since the start of the pandemic, about 184.7 mln people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide, and over 4 mln have died. Russia has documented 5,707,452 cases of COVID-19, 5,143,255 patients have recovered and 140,775 have died.

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