Russia is becoming a COVID epicenter, but Putin is thinking of reopening

On Thursday, the country reported its largest single-day increase in new cases — of 11,231 — passing Germany and France to become the fifth-most infected country in the world, according to The Moscow Times.

Russia now has the fastest rate of new cases in Europe, and second-fastest rate of new cases in the world behind the US.

And yet, the government still appears to be dealing with the crisis chaotically. Health workers are still reporting a shortage on protective equipment, while President Vladimir Putin is already thinking of reopening the country.

It’s possible that Russia’s outbreak is even worse than what’s being reported. The official numbers on cases and deaths don’t seem to line up with coronavirus trends seen elsewhere.