MOSCOW, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russia registered 40,251 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the highest daily count since the pandemic hit the country, taking the national tally to 8,472,797, the official monitoring and response center said Saturday.

In this Monday, July 12, 2021 file photo, a medical worker administers a shot of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center in Gostinny Dvor, a huge exhibition place in Moscow, Russia. (Photo: AP)

The nationwide death toll grew by 1,160 to 237,380, and the number of recoveries increased by 28,909 to 7,331,424, according to the center.

Meanwhile, Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 7,267 new cases, taking the city's total to 1,809,788.

The whole country entered a period of paid non-working days from Saturday to at least Nov. 7, during which all non-essential shops and businesses will be closed, and people are advised to limit travel.