Russia reported 957 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, close to the all-time high of 968 reported two days earlier, according to Reuters.

The government coronavirus task force also said it had recorded 29,409 new cases in the last 24 hours, an increase from 28,647 cases on Sunday.

Moscow, which reported 5,002 cases on Monday, said it was launching free “express” antibody-based tests for Covid-19 at a number of locations including shopping malls in an attempt to avert a new wave of restrictions.

The number of people hospitalised over the last two weeks in the capital has doubled in comparison with the previous fortnight, the Interfax news agency quoted the city's Covid-19 task force as saying.