Putin in self-isolation due to COVID cases in inner circle

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin entered self-isolation after people in his inner circle became infected with the coronavirus, the Kremlin said Tuesday, adding that the leader himself tested negative for COVID-19.

Putin, who is fully vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V, held several public engagements indoors Monday and even said that he may have to quarantine soon. An aide at the time sought to suggest he was speaking generally and insisted Tuesday that no one's heath was endangered.

During a daily conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is “absolutely healthy” but had come in contact with someone who contracted the virus. Asked if Putin tested negative for the virus, Peskov said “definitely, yes.”

Peskov didn’t say when Putin began self-isolating, when he tested negative, how long he would remain in self-isolation or who among the president's contacts was infected. He did say there were several cases.

Russian authorities have been regularly criticized for underplaying the pandemic and for rarely imposing measures to control it even in the face of surges in cases. Russia’s death toll is currently running at its highest level of the pandemic, with just under 800 fatalities a day. Nevertheless, hardly any virus restrictions are currently in place.

Putin has hardly ever worn a mask in public, though he appeared to work largely remotely before he was vaccinated.

On Monday, Putin attended several public events, most of which were indoors and where it appeared from images on TV that no one wore masks. He shook hands with Russian Paralympians and pinned medals on them, attended military exercises alongside Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and other officials, and met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose hand he also...