Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has been diagnosed with coronavirus, he said during a video meeting with President Vladimir Putin broadcast on the state-run Rossiya 24 television channel Thursday.
Mishustin, who was appointed prime minister in January, has played a leading role in Russia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mishustin is now self-isolating and has temporarily stepped back from his work as prime minister. Putin signed a decree to appoint First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov as acting prime minister.
Mishustin’s diagnosis comes as Russia’s number of coronavirus infections surpassed 100,000 in a record one-day surge.
According to a report by the Proekt investigative outlet published earlier this week, cabinet members and staffers who have direct contact with Mishustin are regularly tested for Covid-19. Other staffers are required to wear face masks.