St. Petersburg for the first time since the beginning of the epidemic overtook Moscow in the daily incidence of COVID-19 for several reasons. The former chief sanitary doctor of Russia, deputy State Duma Gennady Onishchenko .
He explained that, firstly, many Muscovites have already had coronavirus, another part of the townspeople have begun to actively vaccinate. Secondly, the situation was influenced by the holidays. “The way St. Petersburg and Moscow celebrate played a role. For example, Red Square was closed, there were no traditional festivities on Tverskaya,” the parliamentarian said.
Onishchenko urged residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg to actively vaccinate, even during the New Year’s weekend. “A lot depends on this: the health of the entire population of Russia and the economy,” he added.
As of January 4, detected 3657 new cases of infection, and in Moscow – 3591. Thus, the capital for the first time during the pandemic yielded first place in the number of infected per day.