Russia reports highest daily cases since July — but it’s still lower than Israel

Russian health officials have reported 6,595 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily surge since July.

In Moscow, more than 1,000 new cases are recorded Thursday for the first time since June.

The number of daily new cases started to grow in late August in Russia, which has the fourth largest caseload in the world at 1.12 million infections. There have been nearly 20,000 confirmed deaths.

Officials have repeatedly dismissed speculation of a second lockdown, saying the increase was expected and Russia’s health care infrastructure was prepared for it.

Russia was the first country in the world to approve a vaccine against the virus last month. The move elicited criticism from experts worldwide because the shots were tested on a few dozen people. More studies are needed to establish the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

Russia’s daily rate is still lower than Israel’s, which recorded 6,808 new infections on Wednesday, although Russia’s population is 16 times larger than that of the Jewish state.

— with AP