Russia has reported 857 new coronavirus-related deaths, a single-day record since the pandemic began, as the country continues to see a surge in infections linked to the Delta variant and a lackluster vaccination campaign.
The government's anti-coronavirus crisis center said on September 29 that 22,430 new COVID-19 cases had been reported in the previous 24 hours.
The daily death toll, the second consecutive day a record was hit, brings Russia's total deaths from COVID-19 to more than 206,000 -- the highest total in Europe.
Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than 7 million people infected, has seen cases spike since last month as vaccinations stall.
Polls show Russians are vaccine-skeptic, with a majority not planning to get inoculated.
Just over a quarter of the population had been fully vaccinated as of September 28, according to the Gogov website, which tallies COVID data from the regions.
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