Vladimir Putin's approval rating plunges to historic low as COVID-19 grips Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has plunged to an all-time low as the country struggles to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. According to reports, Putin's approval rating hit 59%, which is a historic low according to the Levada Centre which is an independent Russian non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation.

The last time when Putin's approval rating was below 59% was in September 1999, when he had first assumed the role of the Prime Minister of Russia. As per the Levada Center polling agency, out of the 1,608 respondents that took part in the poll via phone survey, 33% disapproved of Putin's work. 

Read: Russia Overtakes Italy, UK In Coronavirus Cases, Third Highest Worldwide

Coronavirus in Russia

The latest approval rating came amid the exponential growth rate of COVID-19 infection in Russia as the country recorded over 10,000 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. According to reports, Russia now has the second-fastest rate of infection after the United States, which is still the most affected country in the world.

However, Russia's mortality rate is still below most of the major countries in the world, according to statistics provided by the Russian government. Some experts in the West believe that Kremlin is hiding the original numbers and the death toll in Russia could well be above what is being reported by the state. 

Read: Putin Lifts Russia’s Shutdown, But Keeps Many Restrictions

According to figures by the Worldometer website, Russia has recorded over 232,000 confirmed coronavirus cases so far, of which 2,116 people have lost their lives. There are currently 186,615 active infections in the country, while 43,512 have been treated successfully.

In the last 24 hours, Russia has recorded 107 deaths, most of which came from the capital region of Moscow, which is the most affected region in the country. 

Read: Russia: Five Coronavirus Patients Die After Fire Broke Out In Hospital

Vladimir Putin on Monday held a video conference with local leaders following which he announced that non-working days in Russia would come to an end from May 12, while putting the onus on local leaders to decide whether they want to extend the lockdown in their respective regions.

Putin's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin recently tested positive for coronavirus and is currently being treated for the infection. Mikhail was the first high-ranking official in the Russian Federation to have contracted the deadly disease. The latest to join the list is Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who on May 12 said he has coronavirus. 

(Image Credit: AP)

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