President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian authorities to begin mass voluntary vaccinations against Covid-19 next week as Russia recorded 589 new daily deaths from the coronavirus.

Russia will have produced two million vaccine doses within the next few days, Putin said. Russia said last month that its Sputnik V jab was 92 per cent effective at protecting people from Covid-19 according to interim results.

“Let's agree on this — you will not report to me next week, but you will start mass vaccination ... let's get to work already,” Putin told Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.

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