Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 23

Jan. 23: What you need to know today

• Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections Sunday for the third day running. A total of 63,205 new infections were recorded over the last 24 hours and 679 deaths.

Jan. 22

— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections Saturday as the Omicron variant continued its rapid spread across the country. A total of 57,212 new infections were recorded over the last 24 hours and 681 deaths.

Jan. 21

— Amid rising cases, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Tuesday extended a requirement for businesses in the capital to ensure 30% of their employers were working from home.

— Russia plans to cut the isolation period from 14 to seven days for those infected with Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Tuesday.

— Russian lawmakers have agreed to withdraw from consideration an unpopular bill for QR-code health passes to enter public spaces, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Monday.

Jan. 19

— Russia reported 33,899 new Covid-19 infections and 698 deaths.

— Cases in Russia’s second city of St. Petersburg set a new record high Wednesday with 4,382 new confirmed cases. In Moscow, where Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Omicron has become the dominant strain, new infections set their third-highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday of 8,795.

Jan. 18

— Russia reported 31,252 new Covid-19 infections and 688 deaths.

Jan. 17

— Russia reported 30,726 new Covid-19 infections and 670 deaths.

— The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is still awaiting additional documentation on Sputnik V before it can proceed with the vaccine approval process, the EU’s Ambassador to Moscow said Monday. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Russia said Sunday the vaccine’s developers had submitted all the required information needed for its approval process, and further inspections will take place in February, though other WHO officials later appeared to contradict this, saying they were still waiting for a full data package from Russia.

Jan. 16

— Russia reported 29,230 new Covid-19 infections and 686 deaths.

Jan. 15

— Russia reported 27,179 new Covid-19 infections and 723 deaths.

Jan. 14

— Russia reported 23,820 new Covid-19 cases and 739 deaths

— Russia will delay controversial legislation over the use of coronavirus health passes for access to public spaces, officials said Friday, citing “new challenges” presented by the Omicron variant.

— Foreigners will be able to obtain a coronavirus health pass — QR code — in Russia by taking an antibody test, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Friday. The passes will be valid for six months.