A new report from Russia’s state statistics agency shows the country recorded a record number of deaths in July of people infected with coronavirus. Mortality among patients with Covid-19 in Russia shot past 50,000 in July. The death toll is from the new wave of infections caused by the so-called “Delta Variant.”
The coronavirus was the main cause of 38,922 deaths across the country, last month, federal statistics agency, Rosstat, announced on Friday. The estimated death toll among people with the virus nearly doubled compared to June.
In 6,655 additional cases, the virus was listed as the suspected chief cause of death or an underlying condition, and nearly 4,850 more infected people died from reasons unrelated to Covid-19.
Tatyana Golikova, the deputy prime minister who leads the national Covid task force, said the pandemic heavily contributed to the overall increase in the mortality rate by 18.6% compared to the same period last year.
Russia has been hit by a third wave of infections, as Moscow and its eponymous surrounding region remains the top hotspot, along with St. Petersburg, the nation’s second most populous city.
