Putin in self-isolation after staff member tests positive for COVID-19
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in self-isolation after one of members of hist staff has tested positive for COVID-19, the Kremlin’s press service reports.
Putin canceled a visit to Dushanbe, where he was supposed to take part in a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, scheduled for September 16-17. Putin will take part in this event, as well as the session of the Collective Security Council and the meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization heads of stat, via a video conference.
Putin himself spoke about the possible self-isolation on Monday in a conversation with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially called it a "figurative" expression.
But less than a day later he confirmed it. “The president did go into self-isolation because he was in contact with a person sick with coronavirus,” Peskov said.
"Isolation does not directly affect the work of the president, but as of now now there will be no face-to-face events for some time. But, again, this does not affect the intensity of work. The president continues his activities over the video conference," Peskov assured.
Putin, according to Peskov, passed the tests, and they are negative. "We all know that the vaccine is guaranteed to protect you from serious consequences. But cases of disease are nevertheless possible," Peskov said.