Russia reports record number of daily infections

Russia reported 29,935 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, a record high for the country since the start of the pandemic.

The number was about 2,700 more than the new cases reported on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. 

Russia has the fourth-largest caseload in the world with 2.9 million infections since the start of the pandemic. Brazil has the third-highest case count, followed by India and the U.S.

The Russian COVID-19 task force has also registered over 53,000 total fatalities.

The country has avoided imposing a second national lockdown and forced closures of business despite experiencing a worse outbreak this fall compared to the spring. 

Russia rolled out the Sputnik V vaccine earlier this month.

The product that has been widely criticized after the country declared victory on a vaccine without performing extensive testing to ensure safety and effectiveness, according to the wire service. 

Russia’s grim milestone comes as the U.S. continues to grapple with the coronavirus, and the United Kingdom has reported a new, more transmissible mutation of COVID-19.

The White House earlier this week mulled requiring travelers from the U.K. to provide documentation of a negative coronavirus test ahead of arrival in the U.S.

Federal health officials have warned, however, that the new strain of coronavirus could already be in the United States.