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.