Russia scraps fortnight of isolation for new arrivals as Covid-19 measures begin to loosen

From July 15, visitors to Russia will no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days following entry, if they can show proof that they have tested negative for Covid-19 in the preceding three days.

According to a decree signed on Monday by the head of health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, Moscow will require that foreigners arriving into the country present proof of a negative coronavirus test, or take a PCR test within the first 72 hours after entry. If the test comes back positive, the infected person must then enter self-isolation, until they recover and achieve a negative result.

Like foreigners, Russian citizens must also be tested within three days of entry into the country.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced that Russia plans to start accepting international flights from July 15. At first, the world’s largest country will only allow airlines fly from countries dealing well with Covid-19, and it is expected that the other states will be bound to reciprocate.

Russia suspended all regular international passenger travel on March 27, as a reaction to the rapid spread of Covid-19. Since that date, only specially approved flights have been allowed to take off and land, such as those repatriating ex-pats to their home countries.

In mid-April, the chair of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, warned Russians that they should forget about traveling abroad in 2020, encouraging citizens to go on vacation within the country.

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