Moscow | Groups in the Kremlin: Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed on Thursday that dozens of people around him were suffering from Covid-19, forcing them to self-isolate, an example of the country’s difficulties in containing the pandemic.
According to the Russian President, the people concerned are exclusively the bodyguards of the head of state.
“In my team (…) it is not one, not two, but several dozen people who have fallen ill with the coronavirus”, Mr Putin announced during a meeting by videoconference at the Treaty Organization Collective Security Council (OTSC) , meeting in the form of a summit in Tajikistan.
“I had to cancel my trip to Dushanbe at the last minute, I’m really sorry,” he said.
According to Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, Mr Putin, 68, vaccinated since March, must remain in isolation for “at least a week” because of this unprecedented outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic in the circle. Kremlin close to the master.
Among those infected, some provided “protection” for the president and others were responsible for aspects of his “daily life”, Peskov elaborated.
On the other hand, he assured that he was not aware of “any serious cases”, stressing that “practically everyone” who works with Mr Putin is vaccinated.
According to Dmitry Peskov, the functioning of the Kremlin is not affected and the president himself “works normally” from his residence in the suburbs of Moscow.
Vladimir Poutin announced on Tuesday that he had to self-isolate after “very close” contact with a colleague after becoming ill.
Immunity by the Russian vaccine Sputnik V for about six months, he said, adding that the serum “will demonstrate its really high level of protection.”
less than 30% vaccination
The disruption of Covid in the contingent close to the president underscores Russian difficulties in fighting the pandemic amid a vaccination that slips and the very random respect of distancing and mask-wearing rules.
Russia is one of the states in the world where the pandemic has claimed the most lives. The incident has accelerated, against the background of distrust of the authorities, that Russians are not being vaccinated by products produced in the country.
The country is especially in mourning with the Delta variant that has been wreaking havoc since June.
According to the statistics agency Rosstat, about 350,000 Russians died of Covid-19 at the end of July 2021. And according to a calculation by the Gogov site, only 27.5% of the Russian population has been fully vaccinated so far and since December 2020.
Initially, the Kremlin, which has four national vaccines, aims to reach 60% vaccination by September.
Despite strong publicity, Moscow’s flagship vaccine Sputnik V is also facing difficulties in export, despite studies establishing its effectiveness. It is still not approved by the World Health Organization or the European Union.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, on Wednesday described compulsory vaccination for entry into the UN General Assembly from September 21 to 27 as “blatantly discriminatory” because Sputnik V is not in the serum.
election this week
Until the Kremlin master recently resumed events in public, he was protected by a rigid device to prevent exposure to the coronavirus.
Before announcing his separation, Mr Putin received Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and several Paralympic athletes returning from Tokyo in Moscow on Monday.
Until a few weeks ago, most of his engagements were done by video and the few people who could meet him had to go through a period of fourteen days of isolation.
Since tighter controls in April and May 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, Russian authorities have refused to introduce new largely restrictive measures to keep a fragile economy afloat.
Vladimir Putin’s isolation comes ahead of the holding of legislative elections later this week, a vote scheduled over three days to limit the risk of contamination in polling stations, from Friday to Sunday.
According to his spokesman, the president registered to vote online.
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