Russia's official tally of coronavirus cases rose to 2,777 on Wednesday, April 1, a one-day increase of 440, according to official data.

Twenty-four people have so far died, authorities say.

Also, a Russian military transport plane took off from an airfield outside Moscow on Wednesday and headed for the United States with a load of medical equipment and masks to help Washington fight the coronavirus pandemic, Al Jazeera reports.

President Vladimir Putin offered Russian help in a phone conversation with President Donald Trump on Monday, when the two leaders discussed how best to respond to the virus.

The death toll in the United States from the novel coronavirus pandemic has reached 4,080 — double the number from three days prior, the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland reported.

The total number of infections has reached 189,600 nationwide, according to the same statistics.