Russian foreign minister self-isolating after virus contact

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went into self-isolation Tuesday after being in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.

The minister feels good and there are no signs of illness, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. But working trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, planned for Oct. 28-29, have been rescheduled.

Earlier Tuesday, Russia announced its biggest single-day death toll since the beginning of the pandemic, while it registered its biggest single-day growth in cases Monday.

The country’s Chief Sanitary Officer Anna Popova announced that mass gatherings and entertainment events are prohibited from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Wednesday.

She said if the situation continues to worsen, authorities could introduce stricter measures.

It is obligatory to wear face masks on public transport and in parking lots, elevators and in mass gatherings where 50 or more people are present.

Since it emerged last December in China, Nearly 43.5 million people have contracted the virus globally, while more than 1.1 million have died, and around 29.2 million recovered, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The US, India, and Brazil are currently the worst-hit countries. Russia is a distant fourth, with 4 million fewer cases than Brazil.