MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Russia’s anti-coronavirus crisis center is not planning to recommend the repeat closing of borders with other countries yet discussed on Friday the possibility of decreasing the number of flights to Turkey, sources familiar with the results of the crisis center’s meeting told TASS.
"It was discussed that the new closing of borders has not been planned yet. New countries were considered but there are no decisions," the agency’s interlocutor close to the crisis center said.
A source close to one of the participants of the meeting has also confirmed this information to TASS. "During the crisis center’s meeting the subject of closing the (air service - TASS) destinations that had already been opened was not discussed, nor the complete closing of borders. They did discuss the decrease in flights to Turkey and the increase [in flight frequency] to the UAE," the source specified.
Earlier on Friday, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters that over the past 24 hours another 17,340 cases of the coronavirus infection have been recorded in Russia, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The incidence in the country has been growing since the end of summer - early fall and has already surpassed the spring peak values.
In spring, Russia restricted air service to other countries due to the pandemic. Starting this summer, the flights have been partially resumed to a number of countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Egypt, the UAE, Turkey, the UK, Switzerland, Tanzania, Serbia, the Maldives, and Cuba. On November 1, it is planned to resume air service to Japan. On some destinations the restrictions are in effect on the number of flights per week. Quotas were not set for flights to Turkey and the UAE after the resumption of flights.