Russia: Infections could surge 6 times higher due to omicron

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials are sounding the alarm about a looming surge of coronavirus infections due to the highly contagious omicron variant. But they stopped short Tuesday of announcing any new restrictions in a hard-hit country where very few limits are in place. Russia already has Europe’s worst pandemic death toll at over 317,000 dead. Anna Popova, head of Russia’s public health agency, says pessimistic estimates suggest that Russia might face six-figure numbers of daily new infections. She says infection rates in 35 out of more than 80 Russian regions are higher than the country’s average. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Tuesday that omicron is spreading fast in the Russian capital and a surge is expected “within 7-10 days.”