In Russia’s pandemic struggles, even Putin couldn’t speed bonuses to health workers

MOSCOW — It was mid-March, and Russia had reported just 114 covid-19 cases, but President Vladimir Putin wanted to make a grand gesture: bonus payments for medical workers "who are performing their duties with honor."

But weeks rolled on, and Russia’s pandemic numbers ballooned past 250,000 and then 350,000 — now at more than 370,000, the world’s third-largest number of confirmed cases after the United States and Brazil.