Record coronavirus death toll for fifth consecutive day in Russia

A waiter wearing a face mask and gloves stands in a nearly emptied interior space after restaurants and cafes start request QR codes of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test in Moscow, Russia (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit a record on Saturday for the fifth straight day, with the authorities reporting 697 fatalities as the country faces a rapid surge of infections.

The previous record on Friday was 679.