MOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Russia recorded 5,642 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 52,763, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said on Tuesday.

Fifty-one people with the virus died in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 456, it said.

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, although it had reported far fewer infections than many western European countries in the outbreak’s early stages.