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Russia announced on Tuesday that flights to several countries have resumed, the Associated Press reported.
Starting on December 1, Russia will resume allowing air travel to Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mongolia. Restrictions on flights to Cuba, Mexico and Qatar will also be lifted, with the number of flights to Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Vietnam increasing. Russia said is resuming flights to more than 60 countries.
While the announcement might be exciting for some, it comes as Russia's infections and deaths attributed to COVID-19 reach record highs. The country's coronavirus task force recorded 36,818 new cases and 1,240 deaths on November 15. Over 9 million cases and 257,837 deaths have been recorded in Russia since the beginning of the pandemic, making it one of the nations most affected by COVID-19.
Newsweek previously reported that Russia's non-working period, which was meant to help curb infections, was lifted in all but five regions. However, the Kremlin said that data about whether or not the work hiatus was effective was unclear. Some Russians are traveling to other countries, such as Croatia, to receive COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the World Health Organization, as the country's vaccines are not formally recognized by the agency.
The U.S. and U.K. recently lifted some air travel restrictions similar to Russia's. Mexico, Canada and most of Europe can now be traveled to, but not Russia. Travelers must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test to enter the U.S. There is no news on whether or not Russia will require passengers or visitors to show the documents before entering or leaving the country.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
The announcement comes as less than 40 percent of Russia's population of 146 million has been fully vaccinated. The number of deaths on November 15 is only one fewer than the record daily death toll.
Russia has by far the highest death toll in Europe. Some experts believe the true toll is actually higher.
Travel between Russian and some Western countries has been complicated because the European Union and the United States have yet to recognize the vaccines developed in Russia and Western-developed vaccines are unavailable in Russia.
Earlier this month, U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer received approval to test its experimental anti-viral pill Paxlovid in Russia, according to the state register. Ninety people from several Russian cities are expected to take part in the drug trial.
