Russia's remote regions struggle to cope with burgeoning Covid cases
Critics say figures much higher than official tallies, but Putin has ruled out new lockdown
Months after the Kremlin said it had the coronavirus pandemic under control, record numbers of Russians are falling ill and dying of the disease every day, pushing the country's health services to the breaking point while Vladimir Putin has ruled out a new nationwide lockdown.
The official daily tally of new cases rose above 18,000 for the first time on Friday, when 355 deaths were also reported.Critics say the death toll indicated by tallies of excess deaths could be far higher. The increases have mirrored those in European countries such as France and Spain, but the brunt of the outbreak has been borne by far-flung regions that rarely make the evening news.
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