Russia has posted another record coronavirus daily death toll as the country heads toward a new round of measures aimed at suppressing a surge in the pandemic.
The coronavirus crisis center on October 27 said that in the previous 24 hours, 1,123 new COVID-19 deaths were reported, along with 36,582 new cases.
The country’s overall death toll now stands at 233,898, the fourth highest in the world behind the United States, Brazil, and India.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has ordered that people who get injected be given two paid days off work as officials try to lure Russians to get the vaccine.
The country will also go into a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November. The capital, Moscow, will reimpose a partial lockdown as of October 28 with only essential shops like pharmacies and supermarkets allowed to remain open.
Cases and deaths have been spiking across Eastern Europe where authorities have blamed the situation in large part on slow vaccination rates:
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, the EU's least-vaccinated country, the tally of coronavirus infections rose by 6,813 in the past 24 hours, a record daily increase, official data showed on October 27. The virus killed 124 people in the past 24 hours, according to the figures, bringing the total death toll to 23,440.
Romania
Neighboring Romania is at the forefront of the fresh wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the region, with one of the world’s highest mortality rates and hospitals struggling to cope. On October 27, authorities reported 512 fatalities and 14,950 new cases, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to more than 1.6 million cases and some 46,000 deaths.
Romania has the EU's second-lowest vaccination rate, prompted by a public mistrust in inoculation fanned by social-media campaigns and some private TV stations.
The country's senators narrowly rejected a bill on October 27 requiring medical staff, public sector workers, and those of large privately-owned companies to show they are either vaccinated, have already recovered from the virus, or have a recent negative COVID-19 test.
However, the lower house of parliament has the final say and could revive the proposed measures designed to boost vaccine uptake.
Hungary
Hungary on October 27 also reported a jump in daily cases to 3,125, its highest daily tally since April, the government said, urging people to take up vaccines that are widely available nationwide.
Hungary has seen a steady increase in infections over the past weeks -- with the October 27 numbers jumping from 1,668 daily new cases a week ago.
Hungary, a country of 10 million, has reported 30,647 deaths since the start of the pandemic. More than 5.7 million people have been fully vaccinated against the virus so far and more than 1.1 million have received a booster shot.
