WED, FEB 19 2020-theG&BJournal- Russia Wednesday announced a temporary ban on all Chinese citizens from entering the country due to the virus outbreak centred in China that has infected more than 73,000 people worldwide and claimed 1,900 lives in China alone and 2007 globally.
The ban comes into effect Thursday at midnight Moscow time. The ban, signed into a Decree by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, is indefinite.
The Russian government has already closed its 2,650-mile border with China and Mongolia and said it took the step due to the worsening epidemiology situation in China. Nearly one half of the over a billion Chinese people remain under one form of restriction or confinement due to the disease.
Russia has no confirmed or reported case of the deadly coronavirus. But earlier this month, Russian Prime Minister said the country might start deporting foreigners infected with the disease.
Increasing number of countries are reporting confirmed cases or death. In Japan 1 new case is linked to a woman who died. Hong Kong reported second death, South Korea have reported 15 new cases bringing its total to 46 while additional 6 Filipinos in the Cruise ship Diamond Princes in Japan tested positive bringing its total to 41 Filipinos. The World Health Organisation has confirmed that there are ‘’no indications’’ of the coronavirus cases in North Korea.
12, 017 people are reportedly in serious or critical conditions. 13,818 have recovered and the 27 countries have reported confirmed case.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Tuesday that ‘’currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of SARS-CoV-2 associated with imported goods or packages from China.
Other African countries are ramping up their preparedness for the COVID-19 impact. Liberia Tuesday announced it now has the capacity to test COVID-19 in the country, ‘’thanks to WHO Afro Region for supply of Reagents.’’
Africa Centre for Disease control is also building volunteers ready to be deployed to support Member States in preparedness and response activities for COVID-19.
|twitter:@theGBJournal|email: info@govandbusinessjournal.com.ng|
