The Kremlin scans journalists with thermal readers three times before they get anywhere near Putin

In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin imposed new restrictions on media access this week. According to the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, all journalists and news crews attending events that include President Putin will now have their temperatures measured at least three times in a single visit: first at the Kremlin’s security checkpoint near the Spasskaya Tower, then when entering the compound, and again before entering the Kremlin’s press center.

The Kremlin has also introduced new, more accurate thermal scanners that now take readings from the back of a person’s wrist. Inside the Kremlin walls, not far from the security checkpoint, some reporters say they’ve seen an ambulance with the words “Emergency Medicine” printed on the side of the vehicle.

Anyone who registers a temperature increase is sent for examination by an on-duty team of doctors who will determine if self-isolation or hospitalization is necessary. Hand-sanitizer dispensers have reportedly been installed throughout the premises of the Kremlin Building One, and all journalists are instructed to disinfect their hands before entering the press center.