MOSCOW — The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is going into self-isolation because of coronavirus cases among his inner circle.
The announcement came Tuesday in the Kremlin's readout of Putin's phone call with Tajikistan's president.
Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V. He received his second shot in April.
According to The Associated Press, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin is "absolutely healthy." He did not say how long the Russian president would remain in isolation but said Putin would continue working.
It's not clear who in Putin's inner circle had contracted the virus, though Peskov clarified that "several" people had been infected.
The Russian president attended several public events. An official said he has tested negative for coronavirus.
According to Johns Hopkins, Russia is currently in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, likely brought about by the more contagious delta variant. The country is currently experiencing its highest weekly death totals since the start of the pandemic.
Russia has seen more than 7 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 200,000 deaths. It's administered more than 85 million vaccine doses to its citizens, Johns Hopkins reports.
