A Russian Orthodox church in Moscow has held a service to seek Russia’s salvation from the fatal coronavirus epidemic that continues to spread across China.
The outbreak that began in the central city of Wuhan has killed more than 100 people in China and infected more than 4,520 globally, most of them in China. Russia has not had any confirmed cases of the new virus but has direct daily flights to several Chinese cities.
More than 60 members of Moscow's Chinese community attended the Tuesday service at the church in central Moscow, Interfax cited Orthodox activist Kirill Frolov as saying.
"Archpriest Igor Zuev has held a prayer service for salvation from the coronavirus pneumonia epidemic that has swept Russia's ally China," Frolov was quoted as saying.
The service comes as Russia has taken increasing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus past its borders. Three Russian regions in the Far East have closed their borders with China until Feb. 7, and Russian tour operators are blocking tour groups from China from entering the country as of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service said it has received complaints that homeopathic medicine manufacturers are advertising their products to Russian consumers as a cure for the coronavirus, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Tuesday.
