Russia reported such a huge spike in coronavirus infections Monday that it leapfrogged both Italy and the United Kingdom in its number of confirmed cases. Russia now has the third highest number of reported cases in the world after Spain and the United States. Its official tally surged to 221,344 after the number of new cases jumped by 11,656 in just one day, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Moscow has suffered an enormous outbreak—with 115,909 cases, it accounts for more than half the confirmed infections across the country. Despite cases of the disease surging in Russia, the country’s official overall death toll stands at 2,009 people. That’s far lower than in many countries with similar-size outbreaks, which has caused experts to question if the Kremlin is suppressing the true number. President Vladimir Putin is due to hold a meeting Monday to decide whether to modify the country’s lockdown rules.
