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Coronavirus pandemic

COVID rates continue to grow in Russia but growth of serious cases has stopped — official

According to Skvotrsova, it means that decetability has improved and the downwards dynamics in serious cases is "a good prognostic sign"

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. /TASS/. Coronavirus infection rates continue to grow in Russia but the growth of serious cases has stopped, chief of Russia’s Federal Medical Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova said on Monday.

"So far, the growth continues but with some specifics: the matter is that the growth of serious forms of the disease has stopped although general growth continues," she said in an interview with the Pozner program on TV Channel One.

According to Skvotrsova, it means that decetability has improved and the downwards dynamics in serious cases is "a good prognostic sign."

In this context she explained the hike in the number of newly detected cases on Sunday, when more than 6,000 coronavirus cases were confirmed, by wider coverage by tests.

"Let me explain: these 6,000 cases were detected on that day when the government instructed us to follow WHO recommendations and expand testing of coronavirus patients’ contacts. Not only those who contacted with patients with confirmed coronavirus, but also those who contacted with any patient with acute respiratory viral diseases, and so on. That is why that day yielded so many new cases," she said.

To date, a total of 47,121 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 3,446 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 405 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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