RUSSIALINK: “Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News” – Moscow Times

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 15, 2020)

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 5,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up measures to tackle the pandemic, including closing most entry points along its 4,200-kilometer border with China, ordering people returning from high-risk areas to self-quarantine and temporarily banning Chinese citizens from entering the country.

There have been 63 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far.

The number of coronavirus infections in Russia as of March 12.MT

March 15

• Russia registered four more cases of coronavirus, Interfax reported, bringing the total number of infections to 63.
• Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin denied that the authorities are downplaying the numbers of coronavirus patients in the capital.
• The Russian protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor confirmed the first community transmission of the coronavirus in Russia, RBC reported on Sunday, but this information was later removed from Rospotrebnadzor’s statement.
• Rospotrebnadzor also said it ran just over 104,000 coronavirus tests since the start of the outbreak while 14,742 people are currently being monitored for coronavirus.
• A Russian Orthodox Church spokesperson said it will not be closing churches or canceling religious proceedings.
• Russian Railways announced it would stop international passenger trains from Moscow to Berlin and Paris. Earlier it was announced that train connections to and from Ukraine, Moldova and Latvia will be suspended.

March 14

• Russia has confirmed 14 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 59, the state-run RIA news agency reported. Nine of the new cases are in Moscow, one in the Moscow region, one in St. Petersburg, two in Kemerovo and one in Kaliningrad.
• Moscow’s chief sanitary doctor Elena Andreeva signed a decree on new measures to combat coronavirus, including compulsory hospitalization of patients with atypical course of flu and banning visitors in hospitals, orphanages and boarding schools.
• Russia will close its land borders with Poland and Norway to foreigners in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a statement.
• Moscow and the Moscow region will make school attendance optional starting on Monday in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
• Moscow authorities recommended that private schools go on a two-week vacation or switch to online teaching, the RBC news website reported.

March 13

• Russia confirmed 11 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 45, the RBC news website reported, citing the country’s coronavirus crisis center.
• Russia is limiting flights with Europe from Monday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Moscow said Friday.
• Prominent Russian-Azerbaijani artist Aidan Salakhova says she has been quarantined in a hospital after returning from Italy on a flight that was carrying two people infected with coronavirus. All the passengers on Salakhova’s flight have been placed in hospital quarantine as well.
• Two Russian tourists in Israel have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
• St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region banned events with more than 1,000 people.
• The Kremlin told journalists who cover President Vladimir Putin to stay away from official events if they felt unwell as a precautionary measure to protect Kremlin staff from the coronavirus.
• Polish President Andrzej Duda will not travel to Russia next month due to the coronavirus, missing ceremonies marking the 10-year anniversary of a plane crash which killed Poland’s president, central bank chief and military commanders.
• Russia’s border will temporarily be closed to Italian citizens and foreigners traveling from Italy starting today as Italy continues to grapple with the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe. …

[Article also appeared at themoscowtimes.com/2020/03/15/coronavirus-in-russia-the-latest-news-march-15-a69117]