Moscow introduced the strictest COVID lockdown measures in over a year on Thursday as the single day COVID-related deaths and infections hit a new high amid slow vaccinations nationwide.

The partial lockdown in the capital, in which only essential shops such as pharmacies and supermarkets can remain open, comes before a week-long workplace shutdown across the country which starts from October 30. Some other regions also decided to impose partial lockdowns on Thursday or even earlier in order to curb the cases ahead of the country-wide initiative.

On Thursday, the country logged an all-time high of 1,159 COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours, as the number of daily cases surpassed the 40,000 mark for the first time… (Reuters, October 28, 2021)