Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday confirmed that he tested positive for the coronavirus and was receiving treatment in hospital, according to the media report.
“I am ill. I’m being treated,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies TASS and Interfax, which specified he had COVID-19.
Dmitry Peskov is the fourth senior government official to have fallen ill, after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova and Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev said they tested positive for the coronavirus.
Peskov told TASS news agency that he was last in direct contact with Putin “over a month ago.”
Peskov, 52, has served as Putin’s spokesman since 2000. He has not held his usual daily telephone briefings with reporters since May 6.
On Monday, President Putin said that the country would be eased its COVID-19-related restrictions nationwide starting Tuesday.
The Russia leader also asked heads of the country’s regions, wherever it is possible, to give people an opportunity to leave home, go out for walks with children, and engage in individual sports.
On Thursday, Putin and US President Donald Trump have called for involving China in new arms control talks with Russia, telling Vladimir Putin that they need to avoid a “costly arms race”.
The two leaders discussed progress on defeating the coronavirus pandemic, with Trump reiterating that the United States is working hard to care for Americans at home and is also ready to provide assistance to any country in need, including Russia.
Russia reported 10,899 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday and a total of 232,243 infections. The country has the world’s second highest number of infections, according to an AFP tally.
Meanwhile, Coronavirus worldwide cases have crossed 4.3 million mark taking toll to 4,339,631 including 292,804 deaths while 1,600,728 patients have recovered, as per figures released by Worldometer