Russia registers first coronavirus death
On March 24, 2020, Russia reported its first death from COVID-19, a 79-year-old woman from the city of St. Petersburg. This marked a significant milestone in the country's response to the pandemic.
The woman, who was not identified, had underlying health conditions and had been hospitalized with symptoms of pneumonia. She died at a hospital in St. Petersburg, where she was being treated for her condition.
The Russian government had previously reported a total of 438 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, with 38 cases in critical condition. The death toll had been zero until this point.
The Russian healthcare system has been criticized for being underprepared for the pandemic, with some hospitals reporting shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential supplies. The country's response to the outbreak has also been criticized for being slow and inadequate, with some experts warning that the country's healthcare system could be overwhelmed if the outbreak continues to spread.
In response to the first death, Russian authorities announced a series of measures to try to slow the spread of the virus, including:
- Closing all non-essential businesses and services
- Limiting public gatherings to 50 people or fewer
- Implementing a 14-day quarantine for anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- Increasing the number of hospital beds and medical staff available to treat patients with COVID-19
These measures were intended to help slow the spread of the virus and reduce the number of cases in the country. However, the effectiveness of these measures was unclear, and the situation in Russia continued to evolve in the days and weeks that followed.