Russia has closed its eastern border amid fears that the novel coronavirus could spread from China into the country that is home to more than 140 million people.
In a desperate attempt to prevent the outbreak from forcing its way into Russia after China revealed there are confirmed cases over all parts of the country, the Russian government has closed its eastern border.
As Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced, Russia would do “everything it could to protect its people.”
In addition to the closed border, Russia has started blocking Chinese tourist groups from entering and announced they would no longer issue electronic visas to Chinese people.
Russia has also limited railway connections with China whereas only direct links between the two countries’ capitals, Moscow and Beijing, were kept.
The drastic measures came along as the World Health Organization officially declared the deadly novel coronavirus a global health emergency following over 8,200 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths worldwide.
According to the WHO, the “extraordinary event” represents a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The highest level of emergency was issued by the United Nations after the first case of person-to-person transmission outside China took place in Chicago where a sickly woman infected her husband.
“The main reason for this declaration is not for what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced.
“Our greatest concern is for the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”
What are your thoughts on this news? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends and follow us on Facebook for more news and stories!
Replaced!