Russia reports 5,966 new coronavirus cases in past 24 hours

The number of new coronavirus cases in Russia has risen by 5,966 over the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 74,588, the country's coronavirus crisis response center said on Saturday.

It also reported 66 new deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 681.

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, although it had reported far fewer infections than many western European countries in the early stages of the outbreak. (Writing by Polina Ivanova Editing by Gareth Jones)