Russia's Omicron cases hit nearly 700, govt ponders new measures

Russia has so far recorded 698 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant and will prepare new measures to combat the rise in cases by the end of the week, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said on Wednesday.

Omicron has pushed COVID-19 case figures to record highs in parts of western Europe and the United States, while cases in Russia have generally been declining from a peak of 41,335 registered in early November.