Putin orders a workplace shutdown amid COVID

The Russian government is putting strict measures in place to combat a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved a proposal for a week-long workplace shutdown at the start of November.

Speaking at a televised meeting with government officials, Putin said the "non-working days" from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 - during which people would continue to receive salaries - could start or stop at different times for certain regions.

This comes as coronavirus-related deaths across Russia in the past 24 hours hit yet another daily record at 1,028, with OVER 34,000 34,073 new infections in the past 24 hours.

On Tuesday, Moscow's Mayor announced four months of stay-at-home measures for unvaccinated people over the age of 60. In the face of a strained healthcare system, authorities are stressing urgency in their efforts to slow the spread of the virus and confront public reluctance to get innoculated with the Russian-made vaccine. the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

"I will repeat it again that the vaccine reduces for real the risk of infection or severe complications after the disease, the death risk. That's why I certainly support the government's proposal. I want to draw regional heads' attention to the need to increase the number of vaccinations. And of course, I call on all our citizens to get vaccinated."

Russia began a revaccination campaign in July, one of the first countries to do so. Even so, Putin himself has yet to receive a booster shot, according to the Kremlin.