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Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for coronavirus. Andrei Belousov, current Deputy Prime Minister, will take up his post on an interim basis.

The Head of Government revealed his contagion in a conversation with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin: "Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the tests that I passed for the coronavirus gave a positive result"

The government will continue to work as before, Mishustin explained. But he recalled that he must comply with self-isolation and follow the instructions of the doctors. Mishustin, appointed prime minister on January 16 this year, is 54 years old.

Russia confirmed 7,099 new coronavirus infections on Thursday , raising the official number of positives in the country to 106,498, thus marking a new record increase of one day. Russia is already the eighth most affected country in terms of infections, after overtaking China and Iran this week.

President Putin has extended the "nonworking" period until May 11 . Moscow's general confinement was also extended until May 13 to contain contagion in the capital, which is the epicenter of the pandemic in the country.

"Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, what happens to you can happen to anyone," Vladimir Putin answered after an audible sigh through the webcam in his office in his Novo Ogariovo residence. Mishustin said he would continue to contact his colleagues by phone, but he immediately proposed Andrei Belousov's candidacy. After a conversation that seemed choreographed to the millimeter and that was relayed to the country, the decree with the appointment of the new prime minister was signed by the president within minutes.

The Russian president recalled that members of the government and the presidential administration "are in a high-risk area ." "To think that the threat has diminished and will pass by would be unwise," added Putin, who warned that "the deadly danger of the virus persists" and may "affect everyone." Mishustin responded to the president that he will comply with the self-isolation and that he will follow the doctors' instructions "to protect" his colleagues as well.

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