US-Russian crew blast off for space station after strict quarantine

Russian space officials have taken extra precautions to protect the crew during training and pre-flight preparations as the coronavirus outbreak has swept the world.

Extra measures have been taken to keep the crew healthy and safe before launch. File picture.

A US-Russian space crew have blasted off to the International Space Station following a tight quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nasa astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner lifted off as scheduled from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.