French President Emmanuel Macron, wearing a protective mask, made a statement alongside Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas after his meeting at the Elysee Palace on October 28, 2020 in Paris, France.
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LONDON – French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement from the French presidency.
The diagnosis was made “as soon as the first symptoms appeared,” Macron’s office said Thursday. The brief statement provided no further details about the symptoms the president had experienced.
“According to the current health instructions applicable to everyone, the President of the Republic will be isolated for 7 days.”
Macron, who will turn 43 next week, will continue to work remotely, the statement added.
Prime Minister Jean Castex, 55, will also isolate himself from cars, officials said, after coming into contact with Macron in recent days.
The French president is one of several world leaders who have tested positive for coronavirus this year, including US President Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
France has recorded more cases of coronavirus than any other European nation and is only behind the United States, India, Brazil and Russia, respectively, with the highest number of infections worldwide.
To date, more than 2.4 million people have contracted Covid-19 in France, with 59,472 related deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
Earlier this week, Macron replaced the six-week traffic ban with a curfew from 8pm to 6am until mid-January (with Christmas Eve as an exception).
Public health measures state that museums, theaters, cinemas, bars and restaurants must remain closed at least until January.
French ski resorts also remain closed, but Macron has said very popular tourist spots could reopen “on favorable terms” from next month.