Putin approves paid leave across Russia to curb Covid-19 surge

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he supports a proposal to introduce paid non-working days across the country from October 30 to November 7 to contain a hike in Covid-19 infections and related deaths.

Local authorities can launch the days off earlier or extend them if necessary, Putin told a government meeting.

The proposal was made by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova on Tuesday and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called it "a necessary measure".

Also read: Moscow imposes new Covid curbs as daily deaths break record

Russia is experiencing its toughest period since the pandemic began, with daily new infections and coronavirus-related deaths repeatedly hitting record highs.

According to the country's official monitoring and response center, Russia confirmed 34,073 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 8,094,825, while the nationwide death toll grew by a record daily increase of 1,028 to 226,353.