Russia’s Buryatia introduces mandatory coronavirus testing for visitors from Moscow

The authorities in Russia’s Republic of Buryatia have announced that anyone arriving from the cities of Moscow, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Khabarovsk will have to undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19.

Buryatia’s officials attributed the need for this new measure to the “unfavorable epidemiological situation with regard to the new coronavirus infection” in these regions.

Coronavirus testing will be available for passengers at the airport free of charge. Mandatory testing will remain in place until January 20.

In mid-November, Buryatia was one of the first Russian regions to reintroduce tighter measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, closing shopping centers, cinemas, and stores, with the exception of essential goods.

Some Russian regions require visitors to provide proof that they have tested negative for COVID-19, in order to check into a local hotel.

Moscow currently has the highest number of newly identified coronavirus cases in Russia. On the morning of January 7, Russian officials announced that 4,871 new cases had been detected in the capital in the past day. The Moscow region ranks second in terms of the number of cases, followed by St. Petersburg. By comparison, Buryatia reportedly registered 140 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.