That’s a constantly updated post on what’s going on in Russia relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19). We are monitoring media to keep you informed about the number of people tested positive, regions affected and prevention and quarantine measures taken by authorities. At the moment (April 1), Russian borders are closed for foreigners, air travel entirely stopped.
On April 1, 2020:
🧪 tested positive:
— total: 2777
— active: 2563
💀 deaths: 24
There were two reported deaths from COVID, but authorities dismissed initial reports by media and attributed the deaths to other reasons.
Important: we don’t publish rumors and intentions, only official information on decisions taken by authorities.
Two Chinese nationals were tested positive and then recovered in a Russian hospital in early February.
Three persons from the Diamond Princess were evacuated on February 22 and placed under quarantine in a hospital, where medical checks were conducted. On March 10, they were checked out of the hospital;
One man from Moscow has been infected while in Italy. As of March 2, he is in a hospital in Moscow, he has been reported to be in good condition. All those who had contacted to him have been placed under medical supervision.
One Italian national, a student of a medical university, has been hospitalized in St. Petersburg in early March. As of March 5, he is in good condition. Five persons who had contacted him have been placed under quarantine.
Five news cases in Moscow and one in a city of Nizhniy Novgorod were reported by authorities on March 6. All infected returned from Italy recently.
Four news cases were reported on March 7. Three in a city of Lipetsk (the Lipetsk region) and one in St. Petersburg. All the infected returned from Italy recently.
Three news cases were reported on March 8: the Moscow region (the Moskovskaya oblast), the Belgorod region and the Kaliningrad regions. All the infected returned from Italy recently.
Three news cases were reported on March 9 in Moscow. All the infected returned from Italy recently.
A spike in cases of the virus in Russia: eight cases were reported on March 11. Again all the infected returned from Italy recently.
Six new cases were reported on March 12. Again all the infected returned from Italy recently.
Eleven 11 cases on March 13, including three in St. Petersburg and one in a town of Kudrovo in the Leningrad region (de facto Kudrovo is part of St. Petersburg).
14 new cases on March 14.
Four news on March 15.
Big trouble begins: 30 new cases on March 16.
21 cases on March 17;
33 cases on March 18;
52 cases on March 19;
54 cases on March 20;
53 cases on March 21;
61 cases on March 22. Pharmacies report a deficit of chlorohexidine due to high demand from customers for something to keep hands clean. Producers promise to fill the gap in a week. No any food or toilet paper panic buying, which had been occassionally seen, at the moment;
71 cases on March 23;
57 cases on March 24;
163 cases on March 25; it seems great waves are coming. Two deaths of 78- and 83-year-old reported in Moscow. The both had pneumonia and other diseases. First deaths in Russia due to COVID;
182 cases on March 26;
196 cases on March 27. One 70-year-old woman died, total death 3 at the moment;
228 cases on March 28;
270 cases on March 29;
302 cases on March 30;
500 cases on March 31;
440 cases on April 1.
Prevention measures (in date order, from earlier to later):
— the Russia-China border has been closed till April 1;
— passengers of Sapsan trains are screened for the virus with temperature checks;
— no Chinese tourists allowed in Russia till April 1. The ban relates to all border crossings and to all transport means;
— Russian airlines ceased flights to China. Air transportation has not been totally ceased, flights between the countries go through airport Sheremetyevo in Moscow. All arriving passengers are checked and, if needed, are placed under quarantine for 14 days;
— all eight Russian nationalities from Diamond Princess have been put under quarantine, three cases confirmed;
— Moscow department of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has issued an order for all eateries in the city to take additional prevention measures against the virus. Companies are obliged to do disinfection twice a day, get staff wear masks and use antiseptics, and establish antibacterial ultraviolet lamps. It’s unclear whether these demands will be expanded to all the regions;
— the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) announced lab test for the virus can be accomplished in all Russian regions. So far, tests had been conducted in a single laboratory in a city of Novosibirsk, Western Siberia;
— St. Petersburg ferry operator Moby SPL (ferry Princess Anastasia) announced through its social media that the outbreak of the coronavirus will not affect the start of the navigation on March 21, 2020. UPDATE: canceled till April 19;
— flights from Russia to South Korea are limited as of March,1. Only two airlines, Aeroflot and Rossiya, are allowed to fly there, with all passengers coming from S. Korea being tested;
— Iranian nationalities are denied Russian visas as of February 28, except business and humanitarian visas;
— all patients at Russian hospitals with pneumonia will be screened for the COVID-2019;
— flights between Russian and Iran are limited as of February 28. Only two companies continue operating on the route, Aeroflot (Russia) and Mahan Air (Iran). All air passengers from Iran are served at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, terminal F, where they are totally tested for the virus;
— coach operators Lux Express and Ecolines deny access to Russia for Chinese nationalities who want to travel to Russia from Finland and other countries;
— all air passengers arriving to Russia from Italy are screened at airports for the virus;
— train between Moscow and Nice is suspended as of March, 4;
— S. Korean nationalities are denied access to Russia except those with residence permit, plane crews and official delegations as of March 1;
— the St. Petersburg International Economic forum scheduled for 3-6 June has been canceled;
— on March 5, Moscow’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin issued a high alert order because of the coronavirus, which contains a few compulsory measures to be taken by authorities, employers and residents. All people returning to Moscow are obliged to report where they arrived from and whom they contacted; all employers are obliged to check temperatures of their employees, those with fever must stay home; any person with fever or cough must stay home; any citizen arriving from Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, China, France or Italy must stay home for at least 14 days (it’s unclear whether it applies to tourists); all citizens, who contacted with a person who had been positively tested for COVID 19, must be placed under 14-day quarantine;
— all passengers of Allegro train (St. Petersburg — Helsinki) are temperature checked during a trip;
— train Moscow — Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia) suspended;
— on March 10, Moscow’s authorities ordred to cancel all events in the city with the audience exceeding 5,000 attendees till April 2;
— as of March 13, air travel between Russia and Germany, Spain, France, Italy is suspended till April 30 with the exception of a few routes: from Moscow to Frankfurt-am-Main, Berlin, Munich, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris. All flights to\from Moscow take off \ land at Moscow Sheremetyevo’s terminal F, where all passengers are temperature checked;
— all events in St. Petersburg are canceled with audience of 1,000+ visitors till April 30. The same ban is imposed in the Leningrad region with limits of 300+ attendees. All residents and tourists who arrive to St. Petersbug from Italy, China, South Korea, Iran, Germany, Spain and France are obliged to be put under 14-day quarantine. All public transport and museums, etc. work in a standard mode;
— Russia suspends air travel with the European Union, Norway and Switzerland, except flights between Moscow and the capitals of the EU countires, Oslo and Geneva, for an unlimited period of time. All flights to Russia will be landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport;
— Russia closes land borders with Norway and Poland. Railway transortations is suspended with Latvia, Poland, Austria and Ukraine;
— on March 17, Russia has closed its borders till May 1;
— Allegro trains stopped;
— Moscow government limited mass gatherings to 50 persons; schools are closed. Other regions don’t take steps like these, transport, trade work as usually. In other Russian cities, everyday life still has not been affected, except St. Petersburg, where mass gatherings with more than 1,000 attendees banned till April 30. Though, shoppers are flooding supermarkets seeking create stocks;
— railway, coach and air travel throughout Russia has not been impacted;
— national competitions are suspended till April 10, with a rather gloome outlook for the possibility of resuming in April. Russian Football Premier League is thought to restart in the middle of May if current trends continue;
— ferry company Moby SPL canceled all trips till April, 19;
— the Ministry of Culture put all musuems and theatres it runs under a quarantine for unlimited period of time, including the Hermitage, the Kremlin museums, etc.;
— St. Petersburg limited mass gatherings to 50 persons; all events canceled till April 30l; all museums and libraries are closed, cinemas partly closed, but there is no quarantine;
— all other cities and regions’ everyday life has not been affected; It’s suggested Russia will see the peak in two to three weeks;
— empty shelves at supermarkets are occasionally seen in Moscow and St. Petersburg, though not in great numbers. Besides the classics, we mean toilet paper and canned goods, Russians actively buy rice, chicken and buckwheat;
— Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (police) said all foreigners can stay in Russia if even their documents (visas, residence permits) expire. To prolong docs, foreigners must apply to the nearest branch of the MIA;
— Moscow’s authorities issued an order on March 21 for all sports facilities, including fitness centers, to close doors. Other regions don’t follow the suit, but are expected to;
— Moscow’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin ordered all residents 65+ to stay home. Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin (67) will work as usually. Though, it’s not a secret that laws don’t apply to Putin. He also doesn’t obey them despite his law education;
— Moscow and St. Petersburg authorities have increased overvsight of residents subject to self-isolation. Added police force and surveillance video systems have been deployed;
— Russia’s Central Bank recommended banks to limit cash which can be withdrawn from ATMs to curb the spread of the COVID. It is also recommended to keep for four days the banknotes obtained from clients to unsure the virus died;
— Moscow authorities said they are not going to close restaurants and shopping malls despite forecasts for an increase in positive tests;
— St. Petersburg orders fitness clubs and food courts in shopping malls to close; restaurants may host up to 50 guests. The order is in effect as of March 26;
— Russian Railways will give nearly 100% refund if you changed your travel plans, but don’t be slow to apply;
— President Vladimir Putin announced on March 25 that the week March 28 to April 5 will be off. Employees will not lose in income. Retail, transport, emergency services will work;
— Moscow’s and St. Petersburg’s authorities ordered to close all retail (except pharmacies and food), barbershops, spas, etc.; eateries (only «to go» format is permitted), entertainments and parks from March 20 to April 5;
— Russian army is ready to fight COVID, Sergey Shoygu, minister of defense, said in a statement. Special forces are getting prepared, infections centers are being built;
— Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered all restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. throughout Russia to shut down till April 5. Only delivery services are allowed. All national resorts shut down till June 1;
— all Russia’s water and land borders close as of March, 30. Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot resumes flights from Moscow to Brussels, London, Dublin, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Geneva, Paris and New York;
— Moscow authorities significantly restricted the freedom of movement of city’s residents. The measures look like the ones taken in some European countries. A resident may come out of his appartment only when getting to his workplace, for a food shop, in case of emergency or something like that. Social distance of 1.5 meters between persons must be obeyed;
— Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin recommended regions to consider the possibility to enact quarantine measures like in Moscow and the Moscow region. Many other regions have followed suit;
— one third of Russian regions enacted mandatory self-isolation regime;
— Russian Parliament strengthened punishment for violation of self-isolation (up to seven years in jail) and spread of fake news about COVID (fine or up to five years in jail).
