Russia COVID-19 cases grows to 1.5 million

Russia registered 16,521 COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, slightly down from the record high of 17,340 a day earlier, the country's COVID-19 response center said Saturday.

Russia's cumulative number of coronavirus cases has grown to 1,497,167, including 25,821 deaths and 1,130,818 recoveries, the center said in a statement.

Moscow has seen a spike in COVID-19 infections, tallying 4,453 new cases over the past day, bringing the city's total to 391,361.

Russia has been witnessing a steep growth in COVID-19 cases over the past weeks, after many restrictions were lifted and people resumed gathering in large groups.