Biosecurity

Russia Should Quarantine Itself to Halt Coronavirus, Billionaire Deripaska Says

Russia should enter full quarantine due to the threat of coronavirus in the country, billionaire businessman Oleg Deripaska wrote on his Telegram channel Friday.

"The first step is to close all borders tomorrow, cancel all mass events and provide people with the opportunity to spend 60 days at home," he said.

The businessman wrote that if the necessary measures are not taken to prevent the virus' spread, the consequences would be more serious than the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

According to Deripaska, Russia is not ready for the coronavirus epidemic and people are massively ignoring the basic precautions.

"This is not a panic, not a manifestation of the helplessness of society, but the only right decision," he said.

Russia has reported 45 cases of coronavirus infections on its territory so far and taken measures to stop the spread of the virus, including closing most of its border entries with China and limiting flights with Europe.