Russia's COVID-19 cases rise to 1,143,571

Moscow [Russia], September 26 (ANI/Sputnik): Russia has registered 7,523 new cases of the coronavirus disease over the preceding 24 hours, up from 7,212 a day earlier, which brings the cumulative total to 1,143,571, the federal response center said on Saturday.
The largest increase was identified in Moscow, the Russian capital, where 1,792 new positive tests were registered. Additionally, 232 new cases were identified in St. Petersburg and 204 more were found in the Moscow region.
The response center also reported 169 coronavirus-related fatalities over the last 24 hours, which brings the total death toll to 20,225, and 6,004 people were confirmed to have recovered from the disease over the last day, bringing the total number of discharges to 940,150.
Saturday's rise to the case total is the largest observed in Russia since June, and the head of the national public health watchdog Anna Popova said the increase in the number of new positive tests was due to residents not abiding by the country's epidemiological recommendations.
"We are seeing growth, we already sense it. It is more pronounced and begun in the last days of August ... First of all, it is connected with the fact that people are not complying with requirements. Therefore, the main task today is not to return to fear or scaring people, but to call on people to be alert to prevent new infections," Popova said during an appearance on Russia's Rossiya 1 broadcaster.
Popova added that public health officials had expected to see a rise in new cases with the onset of the influenza season at the start of fall.
Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, on Friday issued new recommendations amid the rising number of new cases in the Russian capital. Senior citizens and those with chronic health conditions have been asked to remain at home and large companies have been requested to transfer employees to remote work wherever possible. (ANI/Sputnik)