Russia's daily COVID-19 cases, deaths surge to record highs

Russia called on pension-age doctors who quit during the pandemic for safety reasons to return to their jobs on Thursday as the authorities reported a record one-day tally of COVID-19 cases as well as a record number of deaths. The Kremlin has blamed the rising toll on Russia's slow vaccination campaign and has appealed to people to get the shot. Take-up has been slow, with many Russians citing distrust of the authorities and fear of new medical products. 'In a situation where infections are growing, it is necessary to continue to explain to people that they must get vaccinated,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.