Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Russia is rapidly becoming one of the world's coronavirus hot spots, and it just reported a record 10,000 new cases in a day

Russia is rapidly becoming one of the world's coronavirus hot spots, and it just reported a record 10,000 new cases in a day

A total of 134,687 people are now confirmed to have had the coronavirus in Russia, making it the seventh-most-infected country.
Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus cases for the fourth consecutive day Sunday, as the virus rapidly spreads in the country, which is fast becoming one of the global epicenters of COVID-19.

There were 10,633 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, some 1,000 more than were reported on Saturday, according to Worldometers data.

A total of 134,687 people are now confirmed to have had coronavirus in Russia, making it the seventh most-infected country on the planet, with significantly more infections than early hotspots for the virus, such as China and Iran. More than half of all cases in Russia have been reported in the capital, Moscow.

Of those 134,687 people, 1,280 have died.

"The daily increase in cases has relatively stabilized but this mustn't calm us down, the situation is still very serious," Putin said, according to CNN.

"The peak is not behind us, we are about to face a new and grueling phase of the pandemic... the deadly threat of the virus remains."

In the early phases of the pandemic, Russia appeared to have the virus under control, but the situation has escalated drastically in recent weeks amid a chaotic response from authorities in the country.

As an illustration of how quickly the virus has evolved in Russia, on April 1 it had 2,777 confirmed cases, while at the same time the US had some 220,000. On Sunday May 3, the US has 1.16 million total cases, compared to Russia's 134,000. Russia now has around 11% of the number of US cases.

The picture in Russia's healthcare system is bleak.

Sophia Ankel reported in late April that ambulances in Moscow were forced to queue for many hours to drop patients off at hospitals, such is the volume of new cases of the virus. One ambulance driver said that he waited up to 15 hours to get to the hospital, The Moscow Times reported.

Doctors have also complained of conditions for medical workers, and even said that the government is covering up the true extent of the crisis, Ankel reported.

Anastasia Vasilyeva, the head of Russia's Alliance of Doctors trade union, said in a video that authorities were referring to coronavirus cases as an ordinary pneumonia, which has caused confusion.

Vasilyeva also said that authorities are refusing to equip medical staff properly or give them accurate information about the virus.

"While the whole world is facing an outbreak of a new coronavirus, Russia is facing an outbreak of community-acquired pneumonia," Vasilyeva said. "And as usual, we're facing the lie of the authorities."

Russian authorities have denied her claims.

Meanwhile, a doctor who complained about shortages of protective equipment plunged from a hospital window, on Saturday night.

Alexander Shulepov, 37, suffered life-threatening injuries in the fall, according to the Mail Online. He had previously attracted the authorities attention by taking part in a video that claimed he was ordered to work despite testing positive for COVID-19. He and colleagues also complained about the lack of PPE in the Vorenezh, a city in southwest Russia.

Two other doctors have died after falling from hospital windows during Russia's coronavirus pandemic.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×