Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered the closure of Russia’s 2,670-mile border with China in an effort to block the coronavirus from entering the country.
“We will inform everyone today about the relevant measures to close the border in the Far East region and other measures that the government has taken,” the prime minister said Thursday, according to state-run media.
While there have not been any confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Russia, Moscow had already shut down tour groups from China, where the virus originated.
Mishustin also ordered 16 car and rail checkpoints along the far eastern border with China to close starting Friday.
The total number of coronavirus cases has reached 7,902, with 170 deaths reported. At least 101 cases have been reported outside of China’s borders, across 16 countries. The World Health Organization Emergency Committee will meet Thursday in Geneva to discuss whether the outbreak constitutes a global health emergency.
