Russia taking all necessary measures to evacuate Russian nationals from abroad - diplomat

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russia is taking all necessary measures to evacuate Russian nationals from abroad due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on Tuesday. "We will take all necessary measures to ensure this evacuation," he said. "We are working on determining the exact amount [of Russian citizens] in every country affected by the coronavirus." He added that the situation is compounded by the fact that many countries are closing land borders and halting air and maritime passenger service. "Taking into account the humanitarian nature of this issue, we hope that all the states that we will address will do everything necessary to improve the situation of all people, including Russian citizens, and provide the necessary means for them to return home," he said. In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. On March 11, WHO officially characterized the situation with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The disease has spread to over 130 countries. According to official data, over 170,000 people have been infected with the virus globally, and about 7,000 have died. There are 93 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Russia. Read more