Russia’s consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor recommended on Tuesday that people must avoid public transport, shopping malls, and other public premises during peak hour as a precaution to stem the coronavirus spread, RBC reports.
The watchdog recommended that the social gathering at events, sports, entertainment shows must be restricted, and all outdoor and indoor events must be cancelled.
As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 4,000 people worldwide raises international concerns, Russia has at least 20 people infected with the disease as of March 10. The country has stepped up containment measures to curb further spread and tackle health emergencies.
Russia imposed travel restrictions by sealing the entry points along the 4,200-kilometer border with China, announcing returning nationals to self-quarantine for 14 days. The Moscow health authorities threatened five-year detention in case the infected patients refused to quarantine as per agency reports.
Also on Tuesday, the Russian Transport Ministry confirmed that train services to the southern French city of Nice from Moscow were suspended. It said that the suspension was a part of a wider measure to stem the coronavirus spread. Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova told the media that Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency (Rosturizm) recommended all national tour operators to suspend services to Italy, South Korea, and Iran. Russia’s first three cases of the novel coronavirus were reported onboard the quarantined vessel Diamond Princess docked off the coast in Yokohama, south of Japan.
