No need for coronavirus restrictions on arrivals from China - Popova

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Russia does not currently think it necessary to impose coronavirus restrictions on travelers from China, Anna Popova, head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), said.

"As of this day, we are not seeing additional risks and we are not introducing any additional [coronavirus-related] measures on persons arriving from China. We think that there is no need for that, such measures have no epidemiological expediency at the moment," Popova said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 (VGTRK) television channel.

Currently, border-crossings by passengers are neither intense, nor expected to increase in the coming month, she added.

"The decision to open borders on [January] 8th has taken place, but we have not seen any [...] intense movement of people. Getting everything back up and running takes additional time. And over this coming month, human flows are unlikely to become intense for a whole host of absolutely objective reasons," she said.

Meanwhile, Rospotrebnadzor has stepped up monitoring at border checkpoints and has all necessary measures in place, she said.

The agency is working in close coordination with counterparts in China and sharing information on the coronavirus situation and the virus's mutation, Popova said.

"At present, we are not expecting any particular danger here," Popova said.

It was reported that China has started lifting the restrictions on international travel that have been in place since the coronavirus pandemic began. From January 8, people arriving in China with a negative Covid-19 test are no longer required to quarantine upon arrival. Later, the Chinese authorities also began issuing foreigners with standard visas and temporary residence permits.