Russia Confirms 658 New Coronavirus Cases in 24 Hours Bringing Total to 5,389

The country previously went had a paid week off, as Russian President Vladimir Putin urged people to stay at home to curb the coronavirus pandemic, also introducing travel bans and boosting the healthcare system.

Russian authorities stated that 658 new people have been diagnosed with the COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected to 5,389. The highest number of confirmed cases has been reported in Moscow, with almost 3,900 infected.

The nation, however, has so far managed to avoid explosive growth of the virus, according to Anna Popova, the head of the Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnador.

Women with protective masks, widely used as a preventive measure against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), walk across Red Square near the St. Basil's Cathedral in central Moscow, Russia March 26, 2020

© REUTERS / Shamil Zhumatov

Addressing the issue, Mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin stated earlier in the day that medical facilities had been mobilised to fight the disease, reserving at least 20,000 hospital beds for new coronavirus patients.

Currently, there are over 1,200,000 infected worldwide and the global death toll has reached 65,600. At the same time, more than 253,000 people have recovered from the disease.