Covid-19 incidence rate up by over 38% in Russia w-o-w - HQ

MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax) - The Covid-19 incidence rate per 100,000 residents has grown 38.4% in Russia over the past week, while the rate of hospitalizations has grown 22.3% in the reporting period, the coronavirus response headquarters said in a statement on Monday.

"The Covid-19 incidence rate stood at 165.7 per 100,000 residents over the past week, up 38.4% from the week before. Morbidity levels have grown in 85 Russian constituent territories, including an increase higher than Russia's average in 23," the headquarters said.

The Covid-19 incidence rate has been growing in Russia for eight consecutive weeks. There was a spike in infections to over 40,000 cases a day last week.

Meanwhile, the rate of hospitalizations stood at 13.8 per 100,000 residents, up 22.3% from the previous week, the headquarters said. The number of hospitalizations has grown in 73 Russian constituent territories, including an increase higher than Russia's average in 30.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Russia has seen a total of 19,111,395 cases of Covid-19, including 383,617 deaths and 18,337,047 recoveries.

The Covid-19 morbidity in Russia has been growing since July.

Anna Popova, head of the Russian public health and consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said earlier that the Covid-19 morbidity was rising in Russia amid the emergence of new, more contagious coronavirus sub-lineages. According to Rospotrebnadzor, the share of the more contagious BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of the Omicron variant has been growing in the overall number of Covid-19 cases in Russia.

However, Rospotrebnadzor maintained that any substantial change in the number of severe cases and hospitalizations is unlikely, and there is no need for reinstating coronavirus-related restrictions at the federal level.

Meanwhile, Rospotrebnadzor reported on August 16 that, in view of the growing number of Covid-19 cases, it had sent out letters to its regional branches to recommend reintroducing mask mandates at public places and transport facilities. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has urged the people to vaccinate to avoid severe complications of the disease.