UPDATE 1-Russia says it has turned tide on COVID wave, but deaths at record high

[ASFN Admin]

Russia said the nationwide workplace shutdown it ended this week had helped turn the tide on a wave of COVID-19 cases, even as officials on Tuesday reported the largest one-day death toll of the pandemic so far. All but a handful of Russia's 80-plus regions on Monday ended a "non-working" period from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 that was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the toughest nationwide restriction since the early months of the pandemic. The health minister told a televised government meeting on Tuesday that the increase in the number of patients receiving medical care had slowed last week for the first time since the beginning of August, though he said it remained "quite high."

Continue reading...