COVID-19 scare: Indian Mission in constant touch with Russian varsities to ensure welfare of Indian students

The Indian Mission here on Saturday assured that it is in constant touch with Russian varsities to ensure the welfare of Indian students stranded in Russia amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"KIND ATTENTION INDIAN NATIONALS & STUDENTS!!! @IndEmbMoscow is in constant touch with University authorities to ensure the welfare of Indian students and responding in a timely manner to ensure well being of Indian students," the Embassy said in a tweet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus -- and that the situation was "under control," thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease, CNN reported.

There have been 306 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and one death.

Meanwhile, the Embassy also urged people to refrain from circulating misinformation/false news and sharing anonymous data related to coronavirus on various social media platforms that may create panic among the public.

"Social media platforms are intermediaries as defined under section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and are required to follow due diligence as prescribed in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011 notified under section 79 of the IT Act," the Embassy said in a statement.

"PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CIRCULATING FAKE REPORTS & VIDEOS which divert attention from real issues concerning the welfare of students. Circulating fake videos is also illegal," it added.

According to experts, Russia's early response measures -- such as shutting down its 2,600-mile border with China as early as January 30, and setting up quarantine zones -- may have contributed to the delay of a full-blown outbreak within the country.

In addition, thanks to the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, which intended to punish Russia for military interventions in Ukraine and Syria and for meddling in the 2016 American election to help President Donald Trump, the country is further cushioned from the killer bug's economic shocks.