Moscow – Russia’s coronavirus caseload on Tuesday surpassed 50,000, according to the official daily statistics.
There are more than 52,700 identified cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, an increase of more than 1,800 per cent since April 1.
According to the Federal Monitoring Service, more than 450 people in Russia have died from complications connected with the virus, with about 10 per cent of the death toll occurring over the past day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the peak of the disease spread was still ahead, adding that the country had to redouble its efforts in the fight against the pandemic.
Russian officials have predicted that the number of cases in the country could reach its peak in May as most of the regions had imposed lockdown quarantine measures.
The quarantine measures amid a global economic downturn had already taken a toll on Russia’s economy.
According to Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, with Putin and other members of Russia’s leadership working remotely, dealing with the situation is “undeniably difficult.
“Human life is an absolute priority over economic difficulties,” Peskov said.
More than half of the country’s identified coronavirus cases have been in the largest city and capital, Moscow at more than 29,000 as of Tuesday.
Moscow authorities have been racing to provide extra medical facilities for the influx of patients.
According to a statement by the Mayor’s office, a new facility for 800 patients was built over the course of one month and opened on Friday.
All the beds at the facility, part of Moscow’s Demikhov hospital, are equipped for providing oxygen to patients with the respiratory illness, which can result from infection with the virus.
However, numerous other medical facilities in the capital had also been converted into coronavirus wards.
(dpa/NAN)
