Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has tested positive for novel coronavirus on Thursday. "The president tested positive for COVID-19 today (Thursday)," the French presidency said in a statement. He had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms," the statement further mentioned. However, the brief statement did not symptoms.
Complying with the national regulations in France, Macron will now "self isolate for seven day". "He will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely," it said. All other meetings to be held via video-conference, the French Presidency said.
French President will cancel all his forthcoming trips, including a scheduled visit to Lebanon, after being diagnosed with COVID-19, a French Presidency spokeswoman told Reuters.
It was not immediately clear what contact tracing efforts were in progress. French Presidency added he was trying to assess where he could have contracted the virus. Macron was at a European Union summit at the end of last week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
French Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed the news. Prime Minister Jean Castex will also self isolate after coming into contact with Macron over the last few days, said Gerard Larcher, head of the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.
Castex shows no symptom but will no longer be going to the French Senate Thursday to outline his government's vaccine strategy to combat COVID-19, his office said in a statement.
France reported 17,615 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the biggest spike in COVID-19 count since 21 November. The country has been severely affected by coronavirus pandemic. It has registered 2,409,062 cases since the outbreak.
At least 289 people succumbed to death on Wednesday, taking the toll to 59,361.
COVID-19 vaccination in France:
France aims to launch a major COVID-19 vaccination campaign between April and June next year, President Emmanuel Macron said earlier. Early 2021 will see a first vaccination drive targeted at the most fragile and exposed groups, followed by a second campaign for the rest of the population, Macron said. The likely limited availability of vaccines by the end of December or early January meant mass vaccinations would have to wait, the French President added.
