Putin acknowledged the presence of “dozens” of COVID patients in his entourage

Moscow | Cluster in the Kremlin: Russian President Vladimir Putin said dozens of people around him were suffering from Kovid-19, forcing him to self-isolate, an example of the country’s difficulties in preventing the epidemic.

According to the Russian Presidency the persons concerned are the special bodyguards of the head of state.

“In my entourage (…) it’s not one, not two, but dozens of people have fallen ill with coronavirus,” Putin announced via video conference at the Treaty Organization Collective Security Council (OTSC). Summit in Tajikistan.

“I had to cancel a visit to Dushanbe at the last minute, I’m sorry,” he added.

According to Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, Mr Putin, 68, had been vaccinated since March, and had to be isolated for “at least a week” due to this unprecedented outbreak in the circle. Kremlin.

Of those infected, some provided “security” for the president and others were responsible for aspects of his “daily life,” Peskov added without elaborating.

On the other hand, he assures that he is unaware of “any serious case”, emphasizing that “practically everyone” who works with Mr Putin has been vaccinated.

According to Dmitry Peskov, the performance of the Kremlin is not affected and the president himself “works normally” from his residence in the suburbs of Moscow.

Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that he would be alone after a “very close” acquaintance with a colleague who had become ill.

Immunized by the Russian vaccine Sputnik V for almost six months, the serum “really demonstrates its high level of protection,” he said.

Less than 30% were vaccinated

The president stressed that Kovid’s interruption in the immediate vicinity was a sign of Russian difficulties in fighting the epidemic, amid the random respect of rules such as vaccine slipping and distance and wearing a mask.

Russia is one of the worst-hit states in the world. The phenomenon accelerated, with the Russians not being vaccinated by the products produced in the country in the wake of the mistrust of the authorities.

The country has suffered particularly badly with the Delta variant, which has been wreaking havoc since June.

By the end of July 2021, nearly 350,000 Russians had died from Kovid-19, according to statistics firm Rosstat. And according to calculations from the Gogov site, only 27.5% of the Russian population has been fully vaccinated today and since December 2020.

Initially, the Kremlin, which has four national vaccines, aims to reach 60% of the vaccine by September.

Despite strong promotion, Sputnik V, Moscow’s main vaccine, is also struggling to export, despite studies to establish its effectiveness. It is still not approved by the World Health Organization or the European Union.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia on Wednesday, September 21-27, condemned the mandatory vaccination for access to the UN General Assembly as “clearly discriminatory” because Sputnik V is not in the serums.

Elections this weekend

The Kremlin’s master has recently publicly resumed events, until then he was protected by a serious device to prevent him from being exposed to the coronavirus.

Before announcing his loneliness, Mr Putin received Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and several Paralympic athletes returning from Tokyo on Monday in Moscow.

Until a few weeks ago, most of his engagement took place via video and the few people who could meet him had to be alone for fourteen days.

In the first wave of the epidemic, out of strict control in April and May 2020, Russian authorities refused to introduce new large-scale sanctions to protect the fragile economy.

Vladimir Putin’s loneliness comes ahead of the legislative elections this weekend, from Friday to Sunday, with voting scheduled for three days to limit the risk of contamination at polling stations.

According to his spokesman, the president registered to vote online.