Russia will put all international flights on hold – this time without any exceptions – starting April 4 in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Russian news agencies reported citing their sources.
This would mean that Russians who still remain abroad, and foreigners looking to leave the country, won’t be able to return home until the ban is lifted.
The decision will come into effect at midnight on Saturday, sources in the country’s major air carriers told Interfax and RIA Novosti.
The government shut down all regular and charter international flights in late March due to the coronavirus, but exceptions were made for flights repatriating Russian citizens as well as planes with cargo and humanitarian aid.
The number of people allowed into the country was limited to 500 a day at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport – 200 for airports in other cities.
Russia has introduced strict measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has already infected more than 900,000 and killed over 45,000 around the globe.
The country previously shut down its land borders, closed all non-essential shops and businesses, placing people in Moscow and most regions on paid leave, which was just prolonged until the end of April.
There have so far been 4,149 cases of Covid-19 registered in Russia, mostly in Moscow, with 34 people succumbing to the disease.
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