Russian president Vladimir Putin said dozens in his entourage tested positive with COVID-19 on Thursday, as Putin himself self-isolated.
“In my closest circle, as you know, there are cases of illness of coronavirus. It’s not one or two, it’s several tens of people. And now I have to self-isolate for a few days,” the Russian president said via Telegram.
Putin explained that he will be unable to personally attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which will be held on September 17 in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
Putin was meant to chair the security summit in person, but cancelled the tour to self-isolate. He did not says who in his entourage had been infected or if they have been vaccinated.
Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Putin was in good health on Wednesday, stressing that self-isolation “in no way affects the work” of the president.
Russia on Thursday reported 19,594 new coronavirus cases and 794 deaths, the Moscow Times reports.
