Russia Surpasses China In Coronavirus Cases, As Anger Towards Putin Grows Due To Lockdown

Russia has now surpassed China in terms of total coronavirus cases, with 87,147 cases and 794 deaths as of Monday at 3 p.m. ET. China has reported 83,912 cases of the virus, with the Chinese death toll at 4,637.

Both Russia and China have been accused of covering up their actual number of cases. A union of Russian doctors has also alleged that medical personnel were obliged to treat the virus without the required personal protection equipment, a claim that has been denied by Moscow.

Russia has been enacting measures to curb the outbreak since as early as January, with the Kremlin closing the country's border with China. Russia and China share a 2,670-mile border, with the virus originating at an animal and seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered most Russians to stay off work since the end of March. Only industries deemed essential are allowed to operate, along with supermarkets and pharmacies.

Some members of Russia’s business community have grown frustrated with the restrictive measures.

Boris Titov, the Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights and former political challenger to Putin, criticized the order on social media Monday. Titov said he will organize an online protest Friday calling for businesses to be reopened.

“Yes, the coronavirus is a problem. But poverty and starvation are no less a misfortune. What are we going to live on in a week? A month?” Titov posted on his Facebook page. “I am convinced that it is time to reweigh everything. It is time to assess the danger as soberly as possible and allow those who observe sanitary conditions to work … There are many of us, and the authorities will hear us.”

Hundreds of protesters also gathered in the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz on April 20 to demonstrate against the shutdown order.

The coronavirus has spread across the world, with global business being paralyzed due to the virus. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has been classified as a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization.