SOURCE: FUNCTION.MIL.RU
21 March 2020
CORONAVIRUS IN RUSSIA: UNBELIEVABLY LOW INFECTION FIGURES AND BELATED MEASURES Russian crisis management center said on March 22 the country will not impose strict quarantine measures amid the recent coronavirus outbreak. The latest decision came despite daily 30 percent growth in cases, which is like in Spain, Germany, or France. Still, there are no plans to cancel, postpone or restrict the spring call of citizens for military service. What matters most for Russian decision-makers is to maintain social peace and stability nationwide. Hence the reassuring declarations by the President and the Prime Minister who announced financial support for the affected industries and the gradual introduction of further measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Nevertheless, the real scale of the epidemic in Russia remains unknown. It is not just about tests that are far less effective than those conducted in Western countries –– Russia’s battle with coronavirus is weakened amidst the ongoing crisis in the country’s health service.
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n line with the Kremlin’s “besieged fortress” politics, the Russian authorities long focused on nothing but just isolating the country from the outside. Back in late January, thus shortly after Beijing acknowledged the outbreak, Russia ordered the closure of its borders with China
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and Mongolia, and limited air and train service while barring Chinese nationals from entering the country. In a proactive step, on March 16, Russia closed its borders with Iran and European states, even Belarus, to halt the virus’ spread, and then on March 18, shut its borders to foreigners 10
