Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the CEE region - statistics & facts
The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been ongoing for over two years, with the first cases in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) confirmed in early 2020. Russia closed its borders to China on January 31, 2020, after two Chinese nationals tested positive for the virus. More cases began to emerge across the CEE region in late February 2020, many of which were linked to travelers returning from Italy. These quickly spread, from Baltic countries in the north to the Balkans in the south. As of March 2023, the highest number of cases was recorded in Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, and the highest number of deaths in Russia.
