Russian President Vladimir Putin known as for a mobilization of well being care staff to arrange for a brand new COVID-19 surge throughout a gathering with the nation's authorities officers.

"We see what's taking place on the earth. It means we now have not less than a few weeks to arrange," Putin stated.

After weeks of declining circumstances, the rapidly spreading Omicron variant is inflicting a record-breaking surge within the nation. In line with Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, the variety of confirmed Omicron circumstances in Russia elevated by greater than one hundred pc from Tuesday to Wednesday.

"We will not keep away from a brand new epidemic surge," Golikova stated.

Whereas Golikova did not point out specifics, she added the Russian authorities would begin implementing new procedures in response to the rising variety of circumstances. She did point out the primary area prone to be hit with the upcoming surge is the Moscow space.

"It is apparent that we're in a really tough state of affairs at this time, in a state of affairs on the verge of attainable new surges [of the virus]," Putin stated in a authorities assembly.

The Omicron variant spreads extra rapidly than different coronavirus strains and has rapidly turn out to be the dominant pressure in lots of international locations, forcing many European nations to implement new masks and vaccine mandates.

Vladimir Putin Omicron Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the nation to arrange for a brand new Omicron-driven surge in COVID circumstances. Above, Putin speaks throughout his annual press convention on the Moscow Manege, on December 23, 2021, in Moscow. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Pictures

Though early research present the Omicron variant is much less prone to trigger extreme sickness just like the Delta pressure, it does simply infects those that have both been vaccinated or had beforehand been contaminated by earlier variations of the virus.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Russia's state coronavirus process power reported greater than 17,000 new infections, up from about 15,000 on Monday.

Russia this yr has been reporting between 15,000 and 18,000 new infections a day, in contrast with December's charge of about 30,000 every day circumstances. The nation's state coronavirus process power has registered over 10.6 million confirmed infections and 317,618 deaths general.

Russia's state statistics company, which used broader counting standards, places the demise toll a lot greater, saying the general variety of virus-linked deaths between April 2020 and October 2021 was over 625,000.

Russia solely had one nationwide lockdown in 2020. Nevertheless, many Russians had been ordered to remain off work for every week amid a surge of infections and deaths in October, however usually, the authorities have resisted shutting down companies or imposing any strict restrictions.

Late final yr, Russian lawmakers launched new laws limiting entry to public locations to those that have been vaccinated, recovered or medically exempt from getting the vaccine, however the legislation hasn't handed all three readings in parliament.

Comparable restrictions exist already in some Russian areas however are sometimes loosely applied. In others areas, restrictions had been relaxed in the course of the December and New 12 months's holidays.

The Related Press contributed to this report.