Russian executive branch staff have begun measuring the body temperature of every individual who attends public events involving President Vladimir Putin. Anton Zhelnov, a journalist for the independent TV channel Dozhd, first wrote about the procedure on Facebook. He said measurements are carried out by a staff member equipped with a thermographic camera.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told the newspaper Vedomosti that the Kremlin has indeed taken special measures to prevent the spread of the current coronavirus outbreak.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, who is leading the executive branch’s efforts to combat the virus, simultaneously told journalists that the temperature checks in the Kremlin were only intended to ameliorate the local flu season.
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