MOSCOW, November 1./TASS/. The number of coronavirus cases in the 7 to 18 age group has declined across Russia, but the figure is on the rise among people aged 65 and older, the head of the Russian sanitary watchdog, Anna Popova, said on Monday.

"I also want to note a decline in the incidence rate among the children aged 7 to 18, the growth pace is practically zero here. However, the measures that we have started to take, they must stay in place and possibly be stepped up," Popova told a meeting of the Presidium of the Coordinating Council to control the incidence of novel coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation.

She said that the biggest growth figures continued to be reported among the elderly. "In the elderly group - 65 and older - the in incidence was 238.9 per 100,000 population. The next age group, 50 to 64, shows 214 cases per 100,000 population," Popova specified.

"This also suggests that the main accent in anti-epidemic measures must be on preserving the life and health and ending the spread of COVID-19 among these age groups," the head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing said.