Russia’s prime minister has coronavirus: report

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, according to The Moscow Times.

Mishustin announced the diagnosis on a video conference call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the country’s state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Since becoming the prime minister in January, Mishustin, 54, has played a central role in leading Russia’s response to the pandemic, but he is now self-isolating and taking a temporary step back from his duties as prime minister.

Putin signed a decree Thursday appointing First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov as acting prime minister.

The news comes as Russia’s total number of confirmed cases surpassed 100,000 after the country experienced a record one-day surge in new cases. More than 1,000 people in Russia have died from the disease.