The Coronavirus Situation in Russia Is Worsening, Fast

On Monday Russian President Vladimir Putin held a videoconference, during which he declared that the coronavirus situation is continuing to worsen throughout the country. A week ago, the number of Covid-19 cases in Russia stood at 7,500. Today, that number nearly tripled to over 21,000.

Hospitals in the capital city of Moscow are warning that they could run out of hospital beds in the next two to three weeks, as the number of cases continues to rise despite the tight restrictions in place around the city. It has been reported that as much as 10% of Moscow’s population has temporarily fled the capital for the Russian countryside.

Early projections seemed good for Russia. The country sent medical supplies to Italy, Serbia, as well as the United States several weeks ago. However, the situation now is quickly worsening while the country has not yet hit the projected peak of the epidemic.

Nearly 30% of coronavirus patients in Russia are reported to show no symptoms, which makes fighting the epidemic even more difficult.

“We see that the situation is changing almost daily and, unfortunately, not for the better,” Putin said in a video conference with health officials, according to The Moscow Times. “The number of people who are getting sick is increasing, with more cases of severe illness.