Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which has claimed more than two lakh lives worldwide. Prime Minister told President Vladimir Putin, on a video call on April 30, that he will self-isolate. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will perform Mr Mishustin’s duties temporarily. However, the prime minister said that he will still engage on key issues and developments. Mr Mishustin, 54, was appointed for the prime minister post in January and has been active in fighting the pandemic.
“You are a very active person. I would like to thank you for the work that has been done so far”, Mr Putin told Mr Mishustin in a video call. During the call, Mr Mishustin said that he would continue participating in drafting policies to facilitate the Russian economy, which has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. According to the coronavirus data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as on May 1, the number of confirmed cases in Russia is at 1,06,498 with 1,073 deaths
