MOSCOW — Russia has reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections, its highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic.
The government task force dealing with the outbreak said the 12,126 infections reported Friday took the country’s total close to 1.3 million.
Russia has the world’s fourth-largest number of reported cases since the pandemic began. It has also reported 22,000 deaths.
Russian authorities insist there is no immediate plan to impose a second lockdown in the country, which has lifted most virus-related restrictions imposed in the spring.
But authorities in Moscow, which has seen a quick rise in new cases with 3,701 infections reported over the past 24 hours, have encouraged businesses to have at least one-third of their employees work from home and recommended that the elderly self-isolate at home. This month’s school holidays in the capital were extended from one to two weeks.