'Russia has stopped growth of coronavirus infections', says country's PM Mikhail Mishustin

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on May 18 that the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country has been stopped as it reported less than 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since the beginning of the month. Russia has recorded 290,678 cases of coronavirus, which is the second-highest in the world after the US, and 2,722 fatalities. The Russian PM himself had tested positive of COVID-19 but he has reportedly said that the situation with the outbreak even though remains difficult, the authorities have “managed to put a stop to the growth of infections”.

Russia had begun easing the restrictions imposed to contain the virus outbreak last week. The Russian government has even announced that the national football league would restart by June-end. After witnessing a daily growth of 10,000 new cases of COVID-19, the country recorded 8,926 new cases on May 18 which is the lowest since it announced 7,933 new cases on May 1. While talking to country’s coronavirus task force, Mishustin noted that “more and more people are recovering and being discharged from hospitals”. 

"We see in this the result of the systematic work that has been carried out in Russia over the past two months," Russian PM said.

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Mishustin credits nationwide lockdown

The Russian PM credited nationwide lockdown for the decrease in the number of new infections. According to Mishustin, the isolation policy had provided the authorities to “gain time and prevent an explosive increase in the rate” of coronavirus spread. Even Russain consumer health watchdog chief Anna Popova reportedly said that there has been a plunge in new cases of COVID-19 as the country moved towards “the level of stability”. 

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced the partial lifting of the lockdown in a televised address. However, noted that some of the restrictions would still remain in place. He also said that the lifting of restrictions would be a gradual process to avoid the second wave of infections.

“The nationwide nonworking regime is coming to an end,” Vladimir Putin said. “Gradually, and very carefully, we are starting to ease the restrictions.”

“I repeat, lifting restrictions will not come fast,” he added. “We mustn’t allow a fallback, a new wave of epidemic and a rise in grave cases.”

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Image Source: AP