Inside Russia’s chaotic response to the coronavirus outbreak

• Russia has seen a surge in coronavirus cases in recent days.
• The country has made early efforts to stem the outbreak: in late January, it shut its border with China in an attempt to stop the virus entering.
• Major cities have also been locked down since March 30, with people allowed only to leave their homes to buy essential goods or for medical emergencies.
• But Russia still appears not to have stemmed the outbreak efficiently enough, with hospitals overflowing and doctors complaining about the lack of protective equipment.
• President Vladimir Putin, who has been largely absent from the front lines of the crisis, has also delivered mixed messages on the virus: On April 14 he said the country was having “a lot of problems,” only to say five days later that everything was “under full control.”
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While the US and some of Europe’s hardest-hit countries were battling the coronavirus outbreak, Russia was still reporting low numbers of confirmed cases in comparison.

But the number of infections has surged in recent days, leaving President Vladimir Putin to admit that the country is facing an “extraordinary crisis.”

Though the Russian government took measures early — it shut its border with China in late January — it has overseen a chaotic response to the crisis, largely due to mismanagement and a lack of communication.

Scroll down for an overview of the country’s response.