Putin reportedly lives like ‘Bubble Boy’ with extreme Covid-19 measures, staff put through disinfectant tunnels
While President Trump has been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after contracting the novel COVID-19 virus, President Vladimir Putin has approached the pandemic a tad bit different than Trump. Trump has been criticized many times over since the pandemic had broken out in March of this year as he decided to host and attend rallies without taking the precautions set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seriously. His refusal to wear a mask, or make it compulsory for others at his gatherings to do so had put him at risk -- not to mention his promotion of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus. On the other hand, and with a starkly different attitude, Putin has been not only been taking all the precautions but has lived like the "bubble boy" according to reports from The New York Post.
The Russian President has decided to quarantine "with extreme measures" in place, said the article as he stayed put in his home, Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow. According to the details revealed, the staff that are in contact with the president are not only supposed to wear masks and maintain social distancing at six feet but also do "more than that."
A CNN article also revealed that during the pandemic, Putin has been on a "strict work-from-home regimen" as he takes care of business through video conferences. It also added that back in April, a spokesperson for Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, had maintained that "new measures" were in place to protect Putin. While everyone that was to meet the president would be tested for the virus, it was also revealed in June that special disinfectant tunnels were installed in the Kremlin and Putin's residence. The CNN article also mentioned that in the same month, when Putin had postponed the Victory Day parade during the pandemic, the WWII veterans who attended and were seated next to him had to quarantine for 14 days prior.
It was also revealed that Proekt, a Russian investigative news outlet, spoke of "extensive" rules when it came to any contact with Putin. According to the report, people that just wanted a photo with Russia's main man had to also be quarantined for 14 days prior. It didn't matter if you were "a top manager of a state gas company or a group of scientists awarded with a medal and a handshake," reported CNN. The same outlet had also revealed that during the summer of the pandemic, Putin's staff including secretaries, speechwriters, and personal photographers, were quarantined in a health resort for two weeks along with going through "extensive testing."
Putin has made exceptions though, but strict protocol was always followed. For example, the president had attended a mass event in September in Kremlin, and footage, according to CNN, revealed that there was a "good ten meters" between the president and everyone else at the event to ensure extreme social distancing. While the president is said to be in good health, the rigorous health protocols put in place make sense considering he is 67 years old and poses a higher risk than most when it comes to the novel virus.