Putin "I Take a COVID-19 Test Every Three Days"

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. Source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that he undergoes COVID-19 testing once every three days.

On the 28th (local time), in an interview with the state-run TV channel Rossiya 1's government publicity program "Moscow·Kremlin·Putin," President Putin said, "I regularly get tested for COVID-19 every three days," adding, "So far, I have never tested positive."

President Putin also explained the reason for his visit to the "red zone" where critically ill patients were admitted in a COVID-19 specialized hospital at the end of March, when the virus began to spread widely in Russia.

He said, "Receiving reports and seeing the situation firsthand are different," and added, "I wanted to see and confirm the situation there with my own eyes." He continued, "My close aides all advised against visiting the red zone, but after hearing from experts about ways to minimize the risk, I went ahead with the visit."

In fact, the chief doctor of the hospital who guided President Putin during the visit reportedly tested positive a few days later. Russian government officials, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, some ministers, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, were also subsequently infected.

Meanwhile, to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infection, President Putin has not commuted to the Kremlin in central Moscow since the end of March. Instead, he has been staying at his residence in the Novo-Ogaryovo area on the western outskirts of Moscow, working remotely. It is reported that he only occasionally visits his office in the Kremlin when absolutely necessary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.