MOSCOW — Russia has recorded a weekly tally of new coronavirus infections lower than the previous week’s, but the country’s chief epidemiologist says residents must continue for a long period to observe measures to prevent the spread.

Russia on Sunday reported 9,709 new cases of COVID-19, the second consecutive day the number of new cases was less than 10,000. Total new cases for the week were 2,937 lower than in the previous week.

Chief epidemiologist Anna Popova said Sunday that the situation has stabilized, but prevention measures will persist.

“There are already new conditions, they are already here, and they will have to be lived with for a long time,” she said.

Russia has recorded more than 281,000 coronavirus cases and 2,631 deaths — a mortality rate well below the world average. However, Russian health officials are not counting deaths the same way as in other countries. The Moscow health department says more than 60% of deaths of people with the coronavirus in Moscow were ascribed to other causes, including cardiovascular ailments, cancer and diseases involving organ failure.