Vladimir Putin is to self-isolate after COVID-19 detected in entourage–Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a meeting with athletes, participants of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, in Moscow, Russia September 11, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin
is self-isolating after members of his entourage fell ill with
COVID-19 and will therefore not travel to Tajikistan this week
for planned regional security meetings, the Kremlin said on
Tuesday.

Putin, 68, was due to travel to Tajikistan for high-level
meetings of the CSTO and SCO regional alliances with the rapid
deterioration of security in neighboring Afghanistan in focus.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday that Putin had
called Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon to explain he
could not travel due to his self-isolation regime and would take
part in the meetings via video link instead.

“Putin said that due to cases of coronavirus in his
entourage, he has to observe a self-isolation regime for a
certain period of time,” the Kremlin said in the statement on
the phone call.

The Russian leader has taken an array of health precautions
throughout the pandemic and has had two doses of the Sputnik V
COVID-19 vaccine.

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