MOSCOW, May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says he has been diagnosed with coronavirus.
His positive test came on the same day that Russia recorded a record 7,099 cases, taking the total number of infections above 100,000.
Mishustin was given the role of prime minister in January and has been actively involved in Russia’s handling of the epidemic.
Russian TV showed him telling President Vladimir Putin of his diagnosis.
“I have just learned that the test on the coronavirus I took was positive,” the prime minister said during the video call.
Mishustin suggested that First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov should take his place and Putin agreed. Mishustin will now go into self-isolation.
Despite the sharp rise in cases, the Moscow-based coronavirus headquarters says 1,073 people in Russia have now died of coronavirus, a relatively low number for Russia’s size.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia’s reaction to the pandemic has enabled it to avoid an “Italian scenario”.
