Kremlin: Premature to judge effect of coronavirus curbs

MOSCOW REUTERS Nov 6-
The Kremlin said on Friday it was too early to judge how effective Russia’s coronavirus restrictions were without lockdowns, as the country reported a record daily number of new COVID-19 infections.   

 Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the increase in coronavirus cases to a daily high of 20,582 was alarming and that authorities would take action depending on how the situation developed.   

 Asked whether Russia’s measures had been effective in containing the virus without imposing lockdowns, Peskov said: “It is probably too early to talk about this.” “The trend is alarming, the pandemic is developing,” he added. “The situation is being carefully monitored and analysed, and measures would be taken collectively, taking into account the specifics of a given region.”   

 The Kremlin has said that targeted measures in certain regions were enough because Russia was better equipped to tackle the virus than earlier in the pandemic, when it imposed lockdowns nationwide.