Moscow, Jan 14 (IANS): Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the noticeable downward trend in new coronavirus cases in the country should not be perceived as reassuring.

"We see that in the world as a whole, unfortunately, it is not yet possible to curb this disease and prevent all the negative consequences," Putin said during his meeting with government members via video link on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the president, Russia is observing the current situation with the coronavirus in other countries, including in Britain.

Putin ordered the start of mass vaccinations for the entire population from next week, as people from high-risk groups have been receiving the jab since early December.

Ultimately, travel restrictions will only be temporary measures and it is vital to fully understand the situation in Russia and figure out how to prevent emerging threats, including new strains of the virus, he said.

To date, Russia has registered a total of 3,471,053 Covid-19 cases, with the daily tally dropping to around 23,000.