Putin says Russia has 'a lot of problems' and 'certainly can't relax' when it comes to coronavirus
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave a blunt assessment of how his country is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
During a televised video conference with senior government officials, Putin said Russia has "a lot of problems, and we don't have much to brag about, nor reason to, and we certainly can't relax. We are not past the peak of the epidemic, not even in Moscow." As of Monday night, there are 18,328 confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Russia, double the number five days ago, The New York Times reports. The death toll stands at 148.
About two-thirds of all COVID-19 cases are in Moscow, where state media reports people suspected of having coronavirus are waiting in ambulances for hours before being moved into hospitals. There are shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and medicine across the country, and Putin said "all scenarios of how the situation could develop must be taken into account, including the most difficult and extraordinary ones."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
4 tips for keeping your resolutions
The Week Recommends New Year's resolutions seem made to be broken, but with a few adjustments, you can give yourself a shot at sticking with it
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'His disdain for international rules could eviscerate the laws of war'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Getty Images and Shutterstock merge into a picture powerhouse to combat AI
The Explainer The $3.7 billion deal is one of the largest in the industry's history
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published