Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Should Quarantine Itself to Halt Coronavirus, Billionaire Deripaska Says

Oleg Deripaska Flickr / World Economic Forum (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more