Russian Prime Minister Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for
COVID-19, according to a report in Russian newswire Interfax.

#BREAKING: Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin diagnosed with the new
Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/j8UToLxZp8

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1)
April 30, 2020

Yesterday,
Russia saw its total number of confirmed cases eclipse 100k,
placing Russia in the ranks of the 10 biggest outbreaks around the
world (at least going by the number of ‘confirmed’ cases)

The PM has told Russian President Vladimir Putin, who delivered
a televised address earlier this week about the country’s
intensifying outbreak, which is centered around the capital of
Moscow, that he will isolate until he tests negative, in accordance
with the standard procedures.

First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will fill in for
Mishustin while he recovers.

Mishustin, 54, was named prime minister in January, just as the
virus was beginning to spread beyond China, after Putin pushed out
his longtime deputy and former “tandem-ocracy” leader Dmitry
Medvedev after a series of gaffes and corruption scandals.

It’s not clear how Mishustin acquired the virus, or whether he
might have exposed other high-ranking Russian officials, possibly
even Putin, though the president has appeared to keep his distance
since the outbreak began.