Russia reports nearly 7,000 COVID-19 cases per day

Russia confirmed 6,718 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the country's official number of cases to 667,883.

Over the past 24 hours, 176 people have died, bringing the total toll to 9,859 — a rate considerably lower than in many other countries hit hard by the pandemic.

A total of 8,915 people recovered over the last 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 437,893.
Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks.

Many other regions lifted lockdown restrictions ahead of a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.  

Critics have cast doubt on Russia's low official mortality rate and accused authorities of under-reporting to play down the scale of the crisis.

Russia attributes its lower virus death figures to mass testing, which has identified many cases with mild or no coronavirus symptoms.