French President, Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the coronavirus disease and is currently self-isolating.
According to a report from Reuters, this disclosure was made by the French Presidency on Thursday, December 17, 2020, although it was not clear at this stage where he had contracted the virus.
The statement noted that the 42-year-old French President had taken the Covid-19 test as soon as the first symptoms appeared.
The statement from his office partly reads, “The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today. This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.”
The statement from the presidency also pointed out that Macron would isolate for the next 7 days but plans to continue running the country remotely and through virtual engagements.
A presidential spokeswoman said that all the President’s trips had been cancelled, including an upcoming visit to Lebanon on December 22 and was trying to assess where he could have contracted the virus.
Frantic contact tracing is now ongoing as the president has been heavily involved in Brexit negotiations and was at a European Council heads of state meeting on December 10-11.
The head of the Senate, Gerard Larcher, said the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, will also self-isolate after coming into contact with Macron over the last few days.
What you should know
The French President is one of the several world leaders which includes the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and US President, Donald Trump, that have been infected by the dreaded Covid-19 disease.
Although the infection rates are still high, France earlier in the week, eased restrictions imposed due to the second wave of the coronavirus disease. France, which reported over 17,000 new cases on Wednesday alone, has recorded over 59,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.
