Russia shutting borders with Poland and Norway over coronavirus

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Russia will shut its land borders with Poland and Norway as of midnight on Saturday, in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.

An exception is being made for citizens from neighboring Belarus, official delegations and holders of Russian residence permits, according to a statementfrom the Russian government.

A Polish border post is pictured on July 3, 2016 in Zerdziny, northern Poland on the NATO nation’s frontier with alliance partner Lithuania and Russia’s Kaliningrad region. The 80-kilometre stretch of Polish-Lithuanian border sanwiched between Kaliningrad and Belarus is called the “Suwalki Gap” and its capture would amputate NATO’s three Baltic members and so shatter alliance credibility.. / AFP / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“We ask Russians to minimise travel. Limiting foreign business trips and mass events in all regions, including entertainment, sports and business events is recommended. We ask everyone to keep calm, since these are preventive measures,” said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Authorities said there were 14 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people to 59, according to Russian media.

Russia had already taken measures to limit flights to and from the EU, Switzerland and Norway, starting Monday.

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