MOSCOW, September 22. /TASS/. Around 800,000 cases of flu and acute respiratory viral diseases were registered in Russia during the past week, or by 30% less than in the same period last year, Anna Popova, chief of Russia’s sanitary watchdog, said on Friday.

"This year, flu incidence is lower. First, it began to go up during the second week of September and in the past two week reach around 800,000 cases a week. This is by 30% less than, say, during the third week of September last year," she said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 television channel.

She noted however that the current strains are very contagious. "If more than 20% of children are sick in a class, a quarantine is imposed and classes are held online. The same applies to the entire school - if 20% of schoolchildren are sick, the entire school is switched to remote learning," she said.

A flu vaccination campaign kicked off in Russia on September 11. The sanitary watchdog recommends that at least 60% of the population and at least 75% in high risk groups be inoculated.