The daily number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria hit another high on Tuesday amid an increase in cases in these countries. The Kremlin has been forced to order most Russians to stay off work starting this week.

The new wave has been attributed to slow vaccination rates across Eastern Europe.

Russia’s national coronavirus task force reported 1,106 deaths in the last 24 hours. The number is the highest reported since the start of the pandemic. The country’s official pandemic death toll now stands at 232,775, the highest in Europe. The number of reported cases has come down slightly to 36,446.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a nonworking period between October 30 and November 7 in a bid to curb the spread.

Most state organisations and private businesses have been ordered to suspend operations during that period, and most stores will close along with kindergartens, schools, gyms and most entertainment venues. Restaurants and cafes will only be open for takeout or delivery. Food stores, pharmacies, and businesses operating key infrastructure can stay open.

Access to museums, theaters, concert halls and other venues will be limited to people holding digital codes on their smartphones to prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, a practice that will remain in place after November 7.

The new restrictions have encouraged more people to get immunized.

Putin has told local officials to order unvaccinated people older than 60 to stay home and to close nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Russian authorities also have strengthened the enforcement of mask mandates on public transportation and in indoor venues.

The Russian leader encouraged the worst-affected regions to start the off-work time earlier and possibly extend it beyond Nov. 7. Six of Russia’s 85 regions began the idle period on Monday, and more joined them Tuesday. Moscow is to suspend work for most people on Thursday.

Russian authorities expect the time off will help limit the spread of contagion by keeping people out of offices and public transportation.

However, the sales of airline tickets and hotel bookings at Russia’s Black Sea resorts surged on the news of the extended holiday, forcing authorities in southern Russia to shut down entertainment venues and limit access to restaurants and bars to customers with the digital health codes. Tour companies also reported a surge in demand for package vacations to Egyptian resorts.

The government has blamed the quick spread of the virus and soaring deaths on low vaccination rates. Only about 49 million Russians — about a third of the country’s nearly 146 million people — are fully vaccinated.

In neighboring Ukraine, the vaccine uptake has been even slower. About 16% of the country’s 41 million people have been fully vaccinated. Confirmed cases and deaths have increased over the past week, and the Ukrainian Health Ministry on Tuesday reported a record 734 deaths in 24 hours.

Bulgaria, the European Union’s least-vaccinated nation with about 25% of the adult population fully inoculated, reported 5,863 new confirmed cases and 243 deaths Tuesday, both national daily records. Medical personnel are concerned the latest wave of infections may overwhelm the country’s ailing health care system.

(With AP inputs)