MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Russia will help Serbia in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Kremlin press service informed on Thursday on the outcomes of the phone call between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"They have discussed the measures taken by both states to combat the coronavirus epidemic, and the opportunities of practical cooperation in this area. In the spirit of traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Serbia, humanitarian aid to Serbia has been approved with the aim to combat the spread of the infection. This aid, namely, the deployment of experts, will be carried out by the Russian Ministry of Defense," the Kremlin informed.
Earlier, Vucic lauded the phone call with Putin on Twitter. "A very good conversation with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Our friendship has been reaffirmed, and significant deliveries of aid are coming to Serbia. We thank Vladimir Putin and the Russian nation," the Serbian leader wrote.
On March 26, Serbia’s Cabinet of Ministers asked Russia for help in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Belgrade has asked for aid in accordance with the existing agreement between the states on emergency humanitarian cooperation. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Serbia’s request would not remain unanswered.
Serbia has closed its borders, having introduced a state of emergency and a curfew on the entire territory of the country. Parliamentary elections have been canceled, railway and bus transport links between cities have been suspended. People over the age of 65 are forbidden from leaving their homes.
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Serbia has risen by 111 in the past 24 hours, reaching 1,171, with 31 reported deaths. Kosovo and Metohija reported 108 cases of infection and one death. The neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina has documented 410 cases of COVID-19, 12 deaths and 17 recoveries. Montenegro has reported 115 cases of infection and one death.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 938,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 47,000 deaths have been reported. That said, over 195,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
So far, a total of 3,548 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 235 patients having recovered from the virus. The country’s latest data indicates 30 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.