New mortality data from Russia’s second-largest city has reignited questions about whether the country’s official tally has discounted thousands of deaths tied to the coronavirus outbreak.

St Petersburg issued 1,552 more death certificates this May than in the previous year, a nearly 32% rise indicating that hundreds of deaths tied to the pandemic are not reflected in the city’s official coronavirus death toll for the month of 171.

It is not clear how many of those people had tested positive for coronavirus or were suspected to have been infected. But statisticians and doctors have previously told the Guardian that 75% or higher of “excess deaths”, the number of deaths exceeding what would regularly be expected, are likely to be tied to the coronavirus outbreak. That means potentially 1,000 additional deaths in St Petersburg in May tied to the pandemic.

The new data, released by the city on Wednesday and first reported by Reuters, further indicates how Russia’s conservative account of its coronavirus death toll may be missing out thousands of deaths, while feeding political talking points and informing policy decisions about tackling the outbreak and reopening the country.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/04/st-petersburg-death-tally-casts-do...

Inevitably the coronavirus toll has become a political football and many countries now are substantually UNDER reporting the true death toll

In Russkiye, Tovarich, is simple rules... Moskva Rules - is no infection - is no problem.....  following are we only on footsteps of Chinese comrades who saying is no infection for China ... not laboratory ... not release .. not wet market.. not disease....

So - what is infection you speaking of?