This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
On May 19, 2020, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin returned to his duties after recovering from the coronavirus, as officials reported a slowdown in new infections.
According to health officials, the total number of infections in Russia had reached 299,941, with 9,263 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Despite the high number of infections, the rate of new cases has been slowing down, with new cases falling below 10,000 for the fourth day in a row.
President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mishustin on his recovery and praised the government's efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
Putin credited a nationwide lockdown and widespread testing over the past two months for slowing the rate of new infections.
However, critics have accused authorities of under-reporting deaths to downplay the scale of the crisis in Russia.
As of May 19, 2020, the number of coronavirus deaths recorded in Russia was 2,837, which is much lower than in countries with similar rates of infection.
Putin also called for more effort to help the emerging hotspot of Dagestan in Russia's North Caucasus, where nearly 700 people may have died from the virus, including 40 medics.
