No need for special restrictions in Russia because of Covid-19 spike in China for now - Rospotrebnadzor

MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) does not think it necessary to impose special restrictions due to the complicated Covid-19 situation in China, head of the Rospotrebnadzor epidemiological wellbeing department Marina Sharabakina said.

"For now [the Covid-19 situation in China] does not require special measures. Everything depends on the automated control system, which helps us organize the prevention of complications in Russia," Sharabakina said on the Rossiya 24 television channel (VGTRK) on Wednesday.

The measures taken by Rospotrebnadzor allow for the avoidance of hindrances to Russian-Chinese trade and economic relations, she said.

The Covid-19 situation has been difficult in a number of countries, including China, Sharabakina said.

The United States, the United Kingdom, India, Japan and some other countries have imposed certain restrictions on Chinese travelers amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. For instance, travelers arriving from China are required to present a negative test for Covid-19.

China was applying a zero tolerance for Covid-19 policy since 2020, which included lockdowns and a mandatory quarantine for all contacts of patients. The Chinese authorities lifted some of the restrictions in December 2022, which caused a spike in morbidity and deaths from Covid-19.