"‘Serious situation’ unfolding with coronavirus in Russia, Moscow Mayor tells Putin"

Three from the Moscow Times:
March 24

Russia is facing a “serious situation” as the coronavirus spreads, Moscow’s mayor told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as the official number of infections neared 500.

Russia has reported a total of 495 coronavirus infections so far, a number that observers have questioned due to the relatively low number of tests the country has carried out. Putin previously dismissed concerns over the coronavirus, saying the situation is “under control” in Russia and that the number of infections was “contained.”

“The momentum is high and a serious situation is unfolding,” Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who heads Russia’s official coronavirus response body, told Putin.
"The real number of those who are sick is significantly higher" than official numbers indicate, Sobyanin said.

“The fact is that testing volume is very low, and no one on earth knows the real picture,” he said. He pointed to the fact that many Russians who returned from abroad have simply self-isolated at home and haven’t been tested for the virus....MORE

March 25 
Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets

The latest on how the ruble and Russian stock markets are reacting to the coronavirus.

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble — both of which are down around 20% since the start of the year....MORE

March 25

Russia's New Coronavirus Cases Triple Overnight, Totaling 658

Russia confirmed 163 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases up to 658 and marking the largest one-day increase in cases so far.

Russia’s officially reported numbers — which are still smaller than those in European countries — have sparked suspicion as they spiked in the past week. Experts warn that Russia's testing capacity is hampered by bureaucracy, while officials warn that the real number of cases is likely much higher....MORE

Man, if it wasn't Russia I'd be getting interested but the powers-that-be are just so....Russian.