MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not discussed with the country's sanitary watchdog chief, Anna Popova, the possibility of reinstating the nationwide mask mandate amid the seasonal rise in acute respiratory viral infections, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"No, this was not discussed in any way," the Kremlin spokesman said in response to a related question.

According to him, the topic of possible pandemics was not on the agenda in general. "No, [this topic] has not been considered," Peskov explained.

Yesterday, Putin held a meeting with Popova. She informed the president about the measures being taken to ensure epidemiological safety in the country, the operation of the unified information and analytical system of the agency, and the development of a pathogen monitoring network.