One Of The Powerful Presidents In The World Tests Positive To Coronavirus

One of the powerful presidents in the world has tested positive to the viral disease, coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

France’s President, Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, his office reports.

The 42-year-old took a test after symptoms showed and will now isolate for seven days, the Elysée Palace said in a statement.

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Mr Macron “is still in charge” of running the country and will work remotely, said an official.

France this week imposed an overnight curfew to help fight with soaring cases.

There have been two million confirmed cases in the country since the epidemic began, with more than 59,400 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

“The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today,” the Elysée said earlier on Thursday. The diagnoses was made following a “test performed at the onset of the first symptoms”, the statement added.

It is not yet known how Macron caught the virus but his office said it was identifying those he had been in close contact.

Prime Minister Jean Castex, 55, is also self-isolating as he is considered a possible “contact case”, officials said. He was due to introduce the government’s Covid vaccination policy in the Senate on Thursday – now Health Minister Olivier Véran is doing it instead.

The statement did not mention whether 67 year old Macron’s wife Brigitte, had also tested positive.

Macron is one of several world leaders who has contracted the respiratory disease. Most notably, US President Donald Trump tested positive in October, which led to his three days stay in hospital.

During UK’s first wave of the virus in March, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had also tested positive to the virus and ended up in intensive care.

Source: BBC.