国际英语新闻:Russia to close border amid virus crisis

MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia is going to suspend border crossings via automobile, railway, pedestrian and other border checkpoints from Monday in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Russian government said Saturday in a statement.

The Russian Transport Ministry, together with the Russian Federal Security Service, the Russian Federal Customs Service and Rospotrebnadzor (Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog) should temporarily restrict traffic through the automobile, railway, pedestrian, river and other checkpoints across the Russian state border from 00:00 Moscow time on March 30 (2100 GMT on March 29), the statement said.

Russia's COVID-19 cases increased by 228 in the last 24 hours, a daily record, to 1,264 in 62 regions of the country, the country's coronavirus response center said.

The government has ordered the closure of hotels, resorts, restaurants, cafes, canteens and some shops.

Russia has suspended all regular and charter flights from domestic airports to and from foreign countries, except for flights taking Russians home from abroad as well as flights carried out by the government.