Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 18

Dec. 18: What you need to know today

• Russia on Saturday confirmed 27,434 Covid-19 infections and 1,076 deaths.

Dec. 17

• Russia on Friday confirmed 27,743 Covid-19 infections and 1,080 deaths.
• Russia claimed its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine provides “robust” long-term protection against the Omicron variant Friday, disputing the findings of an independent study which found the Russian jab produced no antibody response whatsoever to the new highly transmissible variant.

Dec. 16

— Russia has detected the Omicron variant in 25 people so far, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Thursday.

— Russia on Thursday confirmed 28,486 Covid-19 infections and 1,133 deaths.

— Russian lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation in a first reading that will require people to show health passes to access public places like bars and restaurants, as the country gears up for a winter Covid wave.

— Russia has not yet provided all the information requested by the WHO to certify the country’s flagship Sputnik V vaccine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. “It’s true that some information needed for certification has not yet been submitted. We had a different understanding of what information was needed and how it has to be submitted, we have different standards, etc,” Peskov told journalists, adding that the Kremlin is not worried by the lengthy approval process the vaccine has faced.

Dec. 15

— Russians with coronavirus antibodies from both foreign and domestic vaccines will be able to get a QR code valid for six months, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Monday.

— Russia will scrap the proposed bill that would require QR codes to access public transport, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced on his Telegram channel on Sunday.

Dec. 6

— Russia has confirmed its first reported cases of the Omicron variant. The new strain was detected in two people who traveled into the country from South Africa, Russia’s consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said. Another 10 Russians who returned from South Africa have tested positive for the coronavirus and their samples are currently being analyzed to determine the variant, the agency added.

Dec. 3

— Russia said it recorded its deadliest month in decades in October, with the total number of excess deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic surpassing 810,000.

Dec. 2

— Russia will require citizens entering the country from South Africa or neighboring countries to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival due to the Omicron variant starting Dec. 2, Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova announced.

Nov. 30

— Russian President Vladimir Putin called for mutual recognition of vaccines against the coronavirus to help curtail the pandemic, as concern grows around the world about the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

— Russians returning from countries with…