SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — A fire at a hospital in Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg has killed at least five people and forced dozens to be evacuated, a source in the emergencies ministry told AFP. “Five people died in the fire, 150 were evacuated,” the source said of the blaze at the Saint George hospital, which news agency TASS reported had been repurposed to treat coronavirus patients. © Agence France-Presse
Tag: Russia
Russia sees over 10,000 new virus cases for fourth day in row
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia recorded more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday, surpassing Germany to become the country with the sixth-highest number of confirmed infections. Russia has emerged as a new hotspot for the virus and in recent days has been recording the highest number of new infections in Europe. Health officials on Wednesday reported 10,559 new cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total […]
Russia sees record rise of more than 10,000 in one day as total virus cases surge past 130,000
by Anna SMOLCHENKO Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Sunday reported a new record daily rise in coronavirus infections as the number of confirmed cases surged past 130,000. As some European countries were looking to gradually lift restrictions, officials in Moscow — the epicentre of the contagion in Russia — urged residents to stay home despite glorious weather. With the number of cases rising by several thousand each day, Russia is […]
Putin warns Russia has not reached peak of virus infections
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that Russia had not yet reached the peak of coronavirus infections but said a “phased exit” from the country’s lockdown measures could begin in two weeks. With the number of cases rising by several thousand daily, Putin extended a non-working period across the country until May 11, telling officials to plan for a gradual lifting of quarantines after that. “We have managed to slow the spread […]
Astronauts land back on Earth transformed by pandemic
by Christopher RICKLETON Agence France Presse Two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut on Friday made a safe return from the International Space Station to find a “different planet,” transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka touched down in central Kazakhstan at 0516 GMT Friday in the first returning mission since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March. Morgan had been on the ISS since […]
Russia ready to start testing coronavirus vaccines on humans in June
MOSCOW, United States (AFP) — The head of a top Russian research center told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that his lab was ready to start human trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines in June. Rinat Maksyutov, head of the Vektor State Virology and Biotechnology Centre, said his facility proposed first-phase clinical trials of three vaccines from June 29, on 180 volunteers. Maksyutov was speaking during a video-link meeting between Putin and the heads of top […]
Russian plane heads to US with supplies for virus fight
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A Russian military plane carrying medical equipment has departed for the United States, the defense ministry in Moscow said Wednesday, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power amid the coronavirus pandemic. Antonov-124, “with medical masks and medical equipment onboard”, left for the US overnight, a statement said, without providing further details. Video released by the ministry showed the cargo plane loaded with boxes preparing to take off from a military airbase […]
Moscow begins lockdown, as Russia regions prepare for confinement
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Moscow on Monday imposed a lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asked regional authorities to make similar preparations. The enforcement of the tough new rules, which were suddenly announced by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin late Sunday, coincide with the beginning of a “non-working” week declared by President Vladimir Putin last week. Europe’s largest city announced the strict new isolation measures […]
UPDATED: Quake hits off Russia’s Kuril Islands, prompts tsunami alert
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A 7.2-magnitude quake hit off Russia’s Kuril Islands on Wednesday, prompting local residents to seek higher ground due to a brief tsunami threat, authorities said. The Russian emergencies ministry said the quake’s epicenter was 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Severo-Kurilsk, a town of around 2,500 people on the Kuril island of Paramushir. Officials reported no casualties or damage but said 400 residents of Severo-Kurilsk were taken to higher ground. The […]
For Moscow’s quarantined, 100,000 cameras are watching
by Victoria LOGUINOVA-YAKOVLEVA Agence France-Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) —A vast and contentious network of facial recognition cameras keeping watch over Moscow is now playing a key role in the battle against the spread of the coronavirus in Russia. The city rolled out the technology just before the epidemic reached Russia, ignoring protests and legal complaints over sophisticated state surveillance. Since last month, thousands of Muscovites have been confined to their homes for 14 days of compulsory […]
Russia sends virus experts, medics to Italy
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Sunday sent the first of nine military planes which are to take a total of 100 army virus experts and medics to Italy to help fight the coronavirus pandemic there. The Russian defence ministry said the aid mission was agreed by President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. They spoke on the phone Saturday evening, the Kremlin said. The military transport planes arrived overnight at an […]
Russia registers first coronavirus death
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia registered the first death of a patient infected with the coronavirus on Thursday, an elderly woman who had been hospitalized in Moscow, health officials said. The 79-year-old, who had tested positive, was hospitalized on March 13 and had several other conditions including diabetes and heart problems, Moscow’s coronavirus response headquarters said on social media. © Agence France-Presse
