“From 00:00 local time on February 20, 2020, the passage of citizens of the People’s Republic of China across the state border of the Russian Federation entering the territory of the Russian Federation for labor purposes, for private, educational and tourist purposes, is temporarily suspended,” Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said, as reported by news agency TASS. 

Since Monday, Russia has temporarily stopped issuing entry invitations for Chinese citizens for private and educational purposes.

Before this, the Russian government already took a number of measures to try prevent the entry the new type of coronavirus into the country. For instance, Russian Railways suspended all passenger traffic to and from China. In addition, Russia closed its long Far Eastern border with its neighbor. 

There are currently no reported live cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Russia. Two infected Chinese citizens who were quarantined in the Tyumen and Transbaikalia regions have recovered and were discharged from hospital.

One Russian man has however been hospitalized in Japan after becoming ill on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which docked and locked down because of a virus-spreading passenger.

He and his spouse have been transferred to medical facilities, with Japanese authorities clarifying on Tuesday that only the man is currently known to be infected.