Vladimir Putin has been accused of covering up an outbreak of a plague in Russia which has already claimed a life. The breakout has also forced another 189 people into quarantine, and many now fear he is trying to hide how bad it actually is.
Officials respond to outbreak in Siberia
It is claimed top doctors are heading to the area where the outbreak is linked, with many residents being warned not to travel to specific areas which have the worst outbreaks.
Russia's chief infectious diseases doctor Anna Popova has travelled to Irkutsk in Siberia to take charge of the situation, with public events cancelled across the region. Officials have also ordered residents of neighbouring Baikalsk to avoid travelling to Shelekhov, where the outbreak is reported to have taken place, although the message was later deleted.
There are also claims that antibiotics in the region have sold out.
Death of laboratory assistant under scrutiny
It is believed the supposed plague has been linked to the death of a laboratory assistant, Daria Shipilova, at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Reports on how and why she passed away have been mixed, leading many to worry that Russia is trying to hide the truth.
Some claim the 28-year-old fell ill while on an expedition on the border between Russia and Mongolia, while others insist she was infected at the Institute after 'breaking a test tube' filled with the plague-like substance.
The medical expert died at Shelekhov District Hospital, which is now also under quarantine. It is understood a further 189 people are also under lockdown suffering with symptoms.
Governor confirms cancellations
Governor Igor Kobzev said mass events had been cancelled following a "particularly dangerous infectious disease".
Russian news outlet Mash added: "Doctors and Rospotrebnadzor [Russia's public health watchdog] are investigating the circumstances of the infection and carrying out anti-epidemic measures."
News of the outbreak was posted in Telegram channel Nezygar, which compared the authorities' reaction to those of China when Covid broke out. It said: "The situation in Shelekhov, Irkutsk region, where a plague quarantine has been declared, resembles the Wuhan case. An employee of the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute, Shipilova, broke a test tube containing pathogens while at work, after which she left the laboratory and travelled home to Shelekhov."
