Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had given negative coronavirus tests and was “absolutely healthy.”
Peskov told reporters at a conference call that “several people” around Putin’s environment became ill with Covid-19, the president “must take a responsible position and not endanger the health of his colleagues “. The spokesman did not specify who gave positive.
Asked why Putin met with Assad if there were concerns about his exposure to people who tested positive, Peskov said the event took place before the decision was made to quarantine him.
When reporters reported on the matter that Putin told Russian athletes on Monday that there were people with coronavirus disease around him, Peskov reiterated that there was “nothing illogical” in Putin’s calendar.
“First of all, I can say that Putin did not meet with Assad at the end of the day, it was at the beginning of the working day. And everything else, as the doctors finished their studies and the necessary procedures … it was decided here there is nothing illogical.At that time [when the meetings happened], the doctors were still doing the tests, “Peskov said.
“No one’s health was in danger,” he added.
The Russian president acknowledged the existence of “identified cases of coronavirus in his environment,” according to a Kremlin statement.
Putin also referred to the situation in a call on Tuesday with his counterpart in the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and added that he would have to quarantine for “a certain period of time” as a result.
The Kremlin statement said Putin’s scheduled appointments for the current week will now be attended by video conference.
“Isolation does not directly affect the president’s work. But there will be no face-to-face events for some time,” Peskov added.