Deaths related to Covid-19 spiked in Russia's major cities amid a surge in new cases that authorities have blamed on the new Delta variant, and restrictions seeking to curb the virus' spread were strengthened, Reuters reports.
Desperate to speed up Russia's sluggish vaccination campaign, Moscow and several Russian regions have resorted to tough measures to encourage people to get shots, including threats of loss of earnings and dismissal.
Russia's coronavirus task force reported 548 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the most confirmed in a single day since February, with 88 in Moscow and 93 in St Petersburg respectively, a record in both cities.
