Russian COVID spike persists, setting new death record

By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is reporting a record high number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the sharp surge in cases. The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 1,075 people died from the virus in the past day and that 37,678 new infections were tallied — the largest single-day numbers of the pandemic. The daily death toll is about 33% higher than that recorded in late September and the infection cases have risen by about 70% in the past month. Only about one-third of Russia’s 146 million people have been vaccinated, frustrating officials and placing a strain on the country’s health care system.