Moscow's mayor said the COVID-19 situation was gradually stabilising after a surge in infections blamed on the more contagious Delta variant, but the new daily case tally remained high nationwide on Thursday.
The coronavirus task force reported 24,818 new cases in the last 24 hours, including 6,040 in the capital. Russia also reported 734 coronavirus-related deaths, close to a record daily high.
Around 66% of COVID-19 cases that Russia identified in June and early July were the Delta variant, head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova was quoted by TASS new agency as saying.
Some of the cases were blamed on other variants, though the Delta was dominating, Popova said.
"Today, there are no threats or risks that would tell us that we need a lockdown or other strict measures, there is no need in that," Popova told the state TV.
Popova said only 0.7% of Russians who were fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus caught it.
