Coronvirus cases and deaths continue to spike across Eastern Europe where authorities have blamed the situation in large part on slow vaccination rates.
Russia on October 28 reported record numbers of daily coronavirus cases and deaths as Moscow shut down nonessential services for 11 days to combat the surge in infections.
The official government tally reported 40,096 new cases and 1,159 fatalities over the past 24 hours.
The country’s overall death toll now stands at more than 235,000 — the fourth-highest in the world behind the United States, Brazil, and India.
Moscow reimposed a partial lockdown on October 28 with only essential shops like pharmacies and supermarkets allowed to remain open.
The country will also go into a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November. Amid a lagging inoculation campaign, President Vladimir Putin has ordered that people who get vaccinated be given two paid days off work as officials try to lure the public to get the shot.
Ukraine also registered a record daily high of 26,071 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous high of 23,785 on October 22, the Health Ministry said on October 28.
The number of virus-related deaths was 576, the ministry said.
Ukraine’s tally of infections stands at 2.85 million since the start of the pandemic, with 66,204 deaths.
In Hungary, the government announced it will require employees at state institutions to be vaccinated against COVID-19 after a jump in new coronavirus cases.
