It 19 crisis and continues to Russia for weeks, appeared to downplay the threat.

Even giving aid to other nations with that got us curious here at ABC News Live How?

But as we started to report out the situation on the ground, things rapidly started to change.

Patrick Reville has this report.

As the Corona virus ravaged Italy, there was a surprising arrival Russian military sent to help with disinfection efforts.

A diplomatic come from Moscow on one meant to show Russia has things under control.

But at home, Russians have faced an uncomfortable question.

Can they trust their government to tell the truth?

For weeks, Russia's Corona virus numbers were an outlier.

Despite claiming to do more tests than almost any other country, Russia's percentage of reported cases was initially very low.

Just 0.2% the second lowest in the world cause was unclear.

Some blamed poor testing.

Others said early border closures have helped.

Officials from Vladimir Putin down said things were better than elsewhere.

But in a country where authorities have a long history of hiding bad news, suspicions of a cover up quickly appeared.

The government is lying about ground requires about the quantity of cases about absence off protections.

Last week, during a televised exchange, Moscow's mayor finally acknowledged infections were higher than the official number.

After that, things shifted.

Putin donning a HAZ mat suit to visit Moscow Hospital, the doctor he met with now testing positive for Corona virus, a testament perhaps to a rapidly escalating situation.

Moscow, a city of 13 million now the center of Russia's epidemic as cases reach over 3500 nationwide.

Government telling Russia to lock down Senior, you may have done all measures necessary in this situation should be taken even if those not involved into the problem consider them a bit excessive for Russia today.

But as they say, God helps those who help themselves.

People ordered to stay at home, stores shuttered, streets deserted.

I went to a pharmacy to buy a mask.

There's a shortage.

This is it.

I'm going straight back home.

Now Russia is turning toe authoritarians technology to enforce the lock down.

Moscow has one of the largest facial recognition surveillance systems in the world.

It's now being used to check.

People are staying home.

Our charm Koha Renko developed part of the technology.

The system performs real time analytics of incoming video data.

Uh, muscle.

I was able to find more than 500 people who Wallace is a county in, so we can eventually.

How much is this?

People will do.

But there are fears.

The government's efforts to maintain a strong Prasad hide a much shakier reality.

Anastasia Vasiliev heads a doctor's campaign group.

She is a staunch critic of Putin, but she say she's in touch with doctors across the country who say medical supplies are severely lacking.

The situation is awful, really.

They They're suing the masks themselves.

They have no masks, no respirators, no glasses.

Eso no cooker, no costumes to protect them.

Um, the situation is terrible.

All across the Russia in Moscow and and some Peter's booking in, ah, big sieges.

The situation is not so bad, but also have no enough equipment, no enough protection.

As in China, Russia is racing to build hospitals, preparing for the inevitable influx of cases.

And there's elsewhere.

Russians are wondering, How bad will it get?

Patrick or evil?

ABC NEWS, Dublin, Ireland Hi, everyone.

George Stephanopoulos here.

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