Russian construction minister hospitalized for COVID-19

MOSCOW

Russian construction minister has been hospitalized due to COVID-19, a day after the country's premier tested positive for the virus.

In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Construction and Housing said Vladimir Yakushev, 51, and his deputy Dmitry Volkov, 50, were diagnosed with the disease and passed through severe medical check at a Moscow hospital.

Nikita Stasishin, one of Yakushev's deputies, was appointed as acting minister, the statement added.

Russia on Friday registered record number of coronavirus cases for the third day in a row, as 7,933 more people tested positive for the virus.

The total number of COVID-19 patients rose to 114,431, while more than 211,000 people were put under medical surveillance.

The illness claimed the lives of 96 people in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,169.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that he had contracted the disease and said he would isolate himself until recovery.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and regions. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 236,000 worldwide, with total infections nearing 3.3 million, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.