Russia surpasses China infection total

Russia has surpassed China with its total number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday.

The Russian government reports a total of 87,147 cases reached on Monday, which is almost 4,000 more than China’s official toll of 83,912. Almost 6,200 new infections were registered in the past 24 hours.

The actual number of infections in both countries is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Many also believe that governments in both Russia and China could be manipulating the statistics for political purposes.

Russia has reported fewer than 800 deaths from the virus, far lower than any other country with comparable numbers.

Russia had been reporting comparatively low numbers of coronavirus cases until April, and the Kremlin insisted the situation was under control.

In mid-April, Russians were supposed to vote for a constitutional reform that would allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036, and Kremlin critics argued the government was downplaying the crisis ahead of the vote.

In late March, Putin postponed the vote indefinitely. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has been growing exponentially since then.

— AP