Russia exceeds 1,000 daily COVID deaths for first time

Russia has reported more than 1,000 daily COVID-related deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with the country’s vaccination drive at a standstill and no restrictions in place.

An official government tally on Saturday reported 1,002 deaths and 33,208 new infections, setting a pandemic high for both fatalities and cases for the third day in a row.

The surging outbreak has come with just 31 percent of Russians fully inoculated as of Saturday, according to the Gogov website, which tallies COVID-19 data from the regions.

A lack of tough restrictions has allowed the coronavirus to spread, though a number of regions have reintroduced QR codes for access to public places. _Agencies