Russia now has second highest number of virus cases
Russia has confirmed 232,000 cases of coronavirus - the second highest toll on earth after the US.
In the last a day the united states has reported 10,899 infections, the tenth consecutive day that number has been above 10,000.
Among the infected is President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, local media report.
He is the most recent high profile official to test positive, after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin caught the condition.
The news comes the day after President Putin eased the country's lockdown. Factory and construction personnel returned to focus on Tuesday, though Mr Putin gave regions freedom to create restrictions according to local circumstances.
Despite the lot of confirmed cases, Russia's death toll is only 2,116.
Government officials say the country's mass testing programme is responsible for that low mortality rate, but many believe the number is actually far higher.
Meanwhile, authorities in St Petersburg have released a fire in an intensive care unit, which killed five coronavirus patients and forced the evacuation around 150 people.
What's the most recent in Russia?
Local media reported on Tuesday that Mr Peskov - the presidential spokesman since 2012 - had tested positive for the virus and was now in hospital.
"Yes, I am sick. I am acquiring treatment," news agencies quoted him as saying.
Prime Minister Mishustin tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago. Since then, culture minister Olga Lyubimova in addition has been diagnosed with the virus, as has construction minister Vladimir Yakushev and one of is own deputies.
Mr Peskov told TASS news agency that he last met President Putin personally more than a month ago. Mr Putin is working remotely from his residence beyond your capital, and the Kremlin says his health is well protected.
The president announced the end of six weeks of "non-working days" in a televised address on Monday. Russians started out returning to focus on Tuesday morning.
The outbreak is definately not over, the president warned, saying that "danger remains". But all sectors of the economy should begin to restart, he said - though local authorities could bring in tougher restrictions if had a need to support the spread of the virus.
Moscow is the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, accounting for over fifty percent the country's cases and over fifty percent its total death toll.
The other day Mayor Sergei Sobyanin extended the capital's lockdown until 31 May. Though construction and professional workers must now go back to work in the city, everyone must wear face masks and gloves in shops and on public transport.
Residents still cannot set off unless to look, work or walk the dog, and must have a digital permit to travel.
Mr Sobyanin has previously estimated that the administrative centre may have more than 300,000 infections - about three times its current confirmed tally.
