Several EU leaders self-isolate as Macron tests positive for Covid-19

Agencies | Paris

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

After he had met an array of high-ranking French and international politicians in recent days, President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for Covid-19, the presidential palace said on Thursday.

Macron was tested after symptoms first appeared. He would go into isolation for seven days, the Elysee Palace said, without providing further details on the nature of the president's symptoms.

He would continue working during this time, the statement said, said dpa international.

The office of Macron's wife Brigitte Macron told dpa that she was considered a close contact but hasn't shown any symptoms so far.

Prime Minister Jean Castex would also go into quarantine as he had been in contact with Macron, French media reported.

So far, Castex hadn't shown any symptoms and was tested on Thursday morning.

European Council President Charles Michel is also in quarantine as he had travelled to Paris for an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) event and met Macron at the Elysee Palace on Monday, his spokesperson announced.

The Belgian politician was informed "by the French authorities that he is not considered to be a close contact," Barend Leyts tweeted. Michel tested negative on Tuesday.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also attended the event and will go into quarantine.

Macron is scheduled to travel to Lebanon next week. He had last organized another online international aid conference with the United Nations, aimed at stabilizing the troubled country, at the beginning of December.

The French president had also met Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa in Paris on Wednesday, who has now cancelled visits to Sao Tome, Principe and Guinea-Bissau and is working via videoconference, news agency Lusa reported.

Late last week, Macron had attended the EU summit in Brussels and consulted with other European leaders.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that he had also been tested and would self-isolate until knowing the result. However, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would not go into quarantine, a spokesperson said.

Several heads of states including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have already been infected with the novel coronavirus.

Johnson had contracted Covid-19 in the spring and had to be treated in hospital for severe symptoms.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, over 2.4 million cases and more than 59,000 deaths have been recorded in France, which has a population of 67 million.