Members Of His Entourage Infected With COVID-19, Russian President Vladimir Putin Undergoes Self-isolation

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir White chose to self-isolate after a member of his entourage became infected with COVID-19, causing him to cancel a trip to Tajikistan for a regional security meeting, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Vladimir Putin, 68, was due to travel to Tajikistan for a high-level meeting of the regional alliances CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), with the rapid deteriorating security in neighboring Afghanistan in focus.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday President Putin had called Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon to explain he was unable to travel, as he would be in isolation and would take part in virtual meetings.

"President Putin said, due to the coronavirus cases in his entourage, he must comply with the provisions of self-isolation for a certain period of time," the Kremlin said in a telephone statement.

President Putin is known to have received a COVID-19 vaccination using the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine in April, reports Sputnik News.

To note, Russia recorded 17,837 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, down from 18,178 cases the day before, bringing the cumulative total of COVID-19 infection cases to 7,176,085, according to government data.