President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian authorities on Wednesday to begin mass voluntary vaccinations against COVID-19 next week, as Russia recorded 589 new daily deaths from the coronavirus.
Russia will have produced 2 million doses of vaccines in the next few days, Putin said. Russia said last month that its Sputnik V jab was 92% effective in protecting people from COVID-19 based on interim results.
“We are going to agree on this: he will not inform me next week, but the mass vaccination will begin … let’s get to work now,” Putin told Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.
Golikova said large-scale vaccination could begin on a voluntary basis in December.
The rise in infections has slowed since it peaked on November 27, with 25,345 new cases reported on Wednesday. Russia has resisted imposing lockdowns during the second wave of the virus, preferring specific regional restrictions.
With 2,347,401 infections, Russia has the fourth highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world behind the United States, India and Brazil. It has recorded 41,053 deaths related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
The Kremlin previously claimed that Russians were first in line to be vaccinated, and Moscow also discussed supply agreements with other countries.
“The absolute priority is the Russians,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Production in Russia, which is already developing, will meet the needs of the Russians.”
Authorities in St. Petersburg, which reported 3,684 new infections on Wednesday, ordered bars and restaurants closed from December 30 to January 3, to combat the increase in cases there, the RIA news agency reported.
Museums, theaters and concert halls would be closed to the public in the city of more than 5 million people during the Russian New Year holidays, from December 30 to January 10.
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