NEW YORK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) Russia's consulate general in New York has not received any information about Russian nationals infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and has not been asked to provide assistance, spokesman for the consulate, Alexey Topolsky, told Sputnik.
"We do not have information regarding Russian citizens who might have contracted the virus and have not received any requests for assistance," Topolsky said on Tuesday.
Topolsky explained that data regarding Russian citizens within the consulate district comes from the US authorities and the Russians themselves.
The district where the consulate general exercises its authority is comprised of the US states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Topolsky added that no one has also requested help with returning to Russia as long as the national flagship carrier Aeroflot continues to operate flights between Moscow and New York.
The consulate general said earlier that starting March 16, it had decided to temporarily close for foreigners applying for visas amid the worsening health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.
To protect themselves from the virus, diplomats who work at the consulate in New York City follow local authorities' advice on preventive measures, Topolsky noted.
Earlier on Tuesday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the number of people who have tested positive for the COVID-19 across the state had reached a total of 25,665, with 14,094 of them registered in the city alone.
