Russia Releases Worst Pandemic Death Numbers to Date

Medical specialists wearing protective gear transport a person on a stretcher outside a hospital for patients infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow, on July 2, 2021. Tatyana Makeyeva /Reuters

MOSCOW—Russia’s daily COVID-19 deaths hit a new record of 819 on Saturday, a day after Moscow’s health department reported the highest number of monthly deaths in the city since the start of the pandemic.

Russia’s daily coronavirus deaths are on the rise after infections peaked in July. Authorities blame the infectious Delta variant and a slow vaccination rate.