Russian COVID-19 cases near 300,000

Russia has confirmed 9,263 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 299,941, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Tuesday.

The single-day increase has fallen below 10,000 for four consecutive days, the center’s data showed.

The death toll grew by 115 to 2,837, while 76,130 people have now recovered, including 5,921 over the last 24 hours, said the statement.

Moscow, the country’s worst-hit region, confirmed 3,545 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 149,607.

Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said in a statement Tuesday that

267,663 people were under medical observation as of Monday.

More than 7.3 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added.

• U.S. COVID-19 cases top 1.5 mln as death toll exceeds 90,000

Russia, China to continue to develop close ties: Russian deputy FM

Russia and China will continue to develop their close ties and cooperate in the international arena, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday.

A core element of the country’s agenda is the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, “which we will deepen further,” Ryabkov said during an online lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

He said

Moscow-Beijing relations of trust dictate a need to continue close bilateral coordination at international platforms, including the UN Security Council, the Group of 20 and BRICS.

There is no hidden agenda in Russia-China relations and their cooperation is not aimed against other countries, the Russian senior official noted.

According to Ryabkov, Russia finds in the interaction and dialogue with China a significant source for strengthening its own positions and security in various dimensions.

“If the United States expects to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic in order to undermine the positions of Russia and China in the international arena, I think such expectations are wrong,” Ryabkov added.

Source: Xinhua