COVID-19 deaths in Russia are running rampant. With the virus untamed and people still largely unvaccinated, the nation suffered through the deadliest September since World War II. A total of 44,265 deaths were reported last month, raising the total deaths to about half a million.
COVID-19 deaths in Russia: The scary numbers
According to Alexei Raksha, a former demographer at the Federal Statistics Service, COVID-19 deaths in Russia are at an all-time high. Raksha believes that the fatalities this September surpassed the world war. Unfortunately, the situation is becoming much worse than previously thought. President Vladimir Putin declared a nationwide lockdown to get the number under control. Moreover, the widespread distrust of the government is hindering people’s attempts to access vaccines.
“If the authorities’ approach to fighting COVID-19 doesn’t change radically, we can expect new waves of infections. The lockdown should be real, strict, and several weeks, like in Latvia, and not ‘non-working days at the expense of employers,” said Raksha. (bettysco.com) Despite the huge crisis, the demand for vaccines is still low. Merely 47 percent of Russians are immune due to previous illnesses and vaccines.
New peaks and vaccine hesitancies
Currently, according to a Gallup poll, among the unvaccinated population, only 34 percent were ready to get the vaccine if offered. However, 19 percent were not confident in the government. “We are particularly worried about the growing death rates from COVID-19. We are seeing a gradual increase in the vaccination rates, but it is still insufficient” -Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova. Golikova also expressed concern over people not following mask mandates and traveling to other places during the ‘vacations’ or non-working days.
According to the data from the COVID-19 task force’s reports, the data of infections and deaths for September are very scary. And, instead of introducing lockdown earlier, the government reopened schools on September 1. Additionally, they also did their part in avoiding unpopular moves to ensure that Putin’s party restrains its majority.
