MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2020) The Russian authorities are inclined to tighten quarantine in the country and take decisive measures to identify and increase testing of those who contacted patients with the coronavirus for their subsequent isolation; these steps will make it possible to effectively deal with the epidemic, and Russia still has enough time for this, a source in the Russian government told Sputnik.
"The spread of the infection in Russia mathematically corresponds to the situation in countries like Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom with a 27-33 percent daily increase of a comparable number of cases. Russia should take decisive measures to quarantine, identify and increase testing of those in contact with patients and their subsequent isolation to follow the path of countries that are relatively successful in controlling the spread of infection, such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea," the source said.
However, Russia has enough time to take these tough but extremely necessary measures to effectively fight the coronavirus, they said.
"The measures must be really decisive," the source said, stressing that Russia continued to "carefully analyze information on measures to contain coronavirus by other governments, highlighting the most successful among them."
These steps will most likely be taken in the areas of health care, economics and openness in informing the population.
"To make a decision on the appropriateness of additional measures, Russia is studying international experience in increasing the mass testing of people in contact with those infected, quarantine for sick people, isolating people, closing borders, canceling mass events, closing crowded places," the source said.
In the field of economics, special attention is drawn to support for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as industries that are most hit by restrictions, they said.
They also noted the importance of measures to "build confidence in government actions," recalling that foreign leaders publicly addressed people to explain the situation and the actions they take to curb the spread of infection and restore the economy.
"The authorities are striving to maximize the openness of all available data on the extent and consequences of the infection spread," they said.
