Russia will officially be reopening its borders for international tourism beginning on July 15th according to a new government decree.

Russia will no longer require foreigners to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival as the country looks to begin reopening to international tourism.

Those arriving in Russia will need to present English or Russian-language proof that they have tested negative for the coronavirus in the past 72 hours to be allowed entry.

Interfax has published a list of thirteen countries with which Russia could resume flights in the near future. In addition to China and Vietnam, the list includes seven European countries – such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

The Czech Republic is not mentioned in the list, yet. However, Aeroflot and its subsidiary Rossija have been offering two-way flights between Prague and Moscow since August 1.

According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Golikova, the government will evaluate the epidemiological situation in individual countries every two weeks. The main criterion will be the number of infected: it should not exceed 40 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The average daily increase in the number of people infected and the rate of spread of the disease in such states should not exceed one percent.

According to Golikova, reopening of flight routes would be based on the principle of reciprocity, ie to countries that already allow Russian citizens to enter (for example, Croatia).

Russia fully closed air service with other countries, except flights to bring back Russian nationals, freight and mail carriage flights, at the end of March on the back of the coronavirus pandemic. Regular and charter international flights have been fully suspended since March 27.

The epidemiological situation in Russia is gradually improving.

Russia confirmed 6,422 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 746,369. Over the past 24 hours, 156 people have died, bringing the total toll to 11,770 — a rate considerably lower than in many other countries hit hard by the pandemic.

A total of 10,424 people recovered over the last 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 523,249.

 

• If you are looking for a job in Prague, check our new job section here
• Time to move to a new flat? Rents with no commission here!
• Want to advertise your business on Prague Morning? Contact us at [email protected]

The Czech government agreed on Monday to lift a ban on international bus and train travel from May 11, a member of the government said.

The measure was put in place on March 14 in a bid to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to carriers, the renewal of international routes will depend on the conditions of trips abroad, like Slovakia and Poland, for example, still restrict the entry of foreigners into the country. It will also depend on the interests of the passengers.

“I will propose the government to lift the ban on international bus and train travel from 11 May. It will also be possible to use buses or trains to cross the border,” wrote the Minister of Industry and Trade Havlíček on Twitter this afternoon.

According to spokesman Aleš Ondrůj, RegioJet is ready to resume its international connections almost immediately. “Currently, we see no reason why cross-border regular passenger transport to countries such as Austria should still be banned,” he said.

Leo Express is also ready to renew its routes to Poland and Slovakia if passengers are interested. However, the company hopes that the Czech government will continue the negotiations with these countries and open the borders.

As of Monday, April 27, the rules for crossing state borders have been changed. EU citizens arriving in the Czech Republic for business purposes and university students from EU countries may now come to the Czech Republic. Czech citizens are able to travel abroad, however, on their return, they must submit to 14 days’ quarantine or provide a test with a negative Covid-19 result.