Moscow records pandemic-high Covide-19 cases for second day running

Russia's capital Moscow on Saturday (Jun 19) reported a pandemic high for new corona virus cases for the second consecutive day, as the city's hospitals are flooded with new patients as a result of Delta variant. The town registered 9,120 new corona virus infections in a day, according to government figures, another consecutive high topping the prior day's total of 9,056 cases.

Those figures have ballooned from just 3,000 daily just two weeks ago, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin saying on Friday that the highly infectious Delta variant first recognized in India represents practically 90 % of new cases. The new wave of infections come as Russia's second city of Saint Petersburg, the country's worst COVID-19 hotspot after Moscow, is slated to host seven Euro 2020 matches - including a quarter-final on Jul 2 - likely to draw a large number of European football fans. Having claimed the worst of the pandemic had passed over winter, officials are now scurrying to reintroduce pandemic restrictions and roll out new beds focused on corona virus patients after months of near-normal life. On Monday, Saint Petersburg announced a tightening of restrictions including no food sales in its Euro 2020 fan zones.

Measures have already been more drastic in Moscow, where Sobyanin on Friday shuttered the city's fan zone, banned gatherings greater than 1,000, suspended all mass entertainment events and closed dance halls.

He also extended several measures that he had announced last weekend, just like the closure of food halls in malls, zoos and playgrounds, and of bars and restaurants from 11pm to 6am.