Russia: Over a million COVID-19 cases confirmed as of September 1 /update 45

Event

On Tuesday, September 1, Russian authorities reported 4729 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), taking the total tally of cases recorded in the country to 1,000,048 since the pandemic began. Health authorities also reported 123 deaths on Tuesday, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths recorded nationwide to 17,299. Only the US, Brazil, and India have reported more COVID-19 cases.

The Federal Government has delegated responsibility for the phased easing of COVID-19 restrictions to regional authorities. Therefore measures vary from region to region, but, generally, most restrictions have been eased with certain hygiene and social distancing in place. Social distancing and face masks are mandatory in most public spaces.

International commercial flights to certain destinations resumed on Saturday, August 1, following a months-long border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. International flights to the UK, Turkey, and Tanzania were the first to resume, with limited flights departing from airports in Moscow, St Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don. Foreign travelers arriving in Russia will be required to present negative COVID-19 test results that are less than 72-hours old upon arrival. Talks are reportedly underway with a further 30 countries regarding the resumption of flights.

Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the virus.