Russia to impose prison terms for violating coronavirus quarantine

Russia’s Lower House of Parliament, on Wednesday, said it would approve legislation to impose prison terms for violating quarantine measures, the Legislature’s Speaker said.

According to Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, there is a consensus among all political factions.

Volodin said that violating quarantine measures could be tantamount to terrorism.

The draft legislation seeks to impose prison terms of up to seven years if a quarantine violation results in multiple deaths.

However, with its strong backing, the bill would likely also win approval in the upper house of parliament and be signed into law by the president.

Russia has already imposed strict quarantine measures for anyone entering the country and for anyone, who could have been in contact with someone infected with the coronavirus.

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Russia has reported more than 650 cases of the new coronavirus, predominantly in its capital and largest city, Moscow.

Moscow Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, warned President Vladimir Putin that the actual number of cases could be significantly more than reported.

Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that officials had been considering whether to cancel Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in May.

Victory Day, which marks the end of World War II in Europe, is a major source of national pride for Russians.

Putin has been expecting to host a range of world leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and China’s Xi Jinping for the 75th anniversary on May 9. (dpa)