The Latest: Confirmed virus cases hit daily high in Moscow

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Moscow have hit a daily record and increased nearly 30% from the day before

MOSCOW -- Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Moscow hit a daily record Friday and increased nearly 30% from the day before. Authorities reported 9,056 new cases in Russia's capital, the city's highest daily surge since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. In all of Russia, 17,262 new infections were registered Friday, the highest daily tally since early February. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said this week that Moscow was seeing the effects of new virus variant that is “more aggressive, more difficult to tolerate, spreads faster.”