PARIS (AP) – French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the Elysee Presidential Palace announced on Thursday.
He said the president did a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared.” The brief statement did not indicate what symptoms Macron had.
He was said to be isolated for seven days. “He will continue to work and care for his activities remotely,” he added.
It was not immediately known what contact tracking efforts were underway. Macron attended a European Union summit late last week, where he had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He met with the Prime Minister of Portugal on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from Portuguese officials.
Macron also held the government’s weekly government meeting on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Castex and other ministers. The Castex office said the prime minister should also be isolated for seven days.
The French presidency has confirmed that Macron’s trip to Lebanon scheduled for next week will be canceled.
Macron and other government officials repeatedly say they adhere to strict health protocols during the pandemic, including not shaking hands, wearing a mask, and keeping their distance from other people.
Macron is following the recommendations of the French health authorities, which have reduced their own isolation time from 14 days to seven since September. Authorities said at the time that it was the period when there was a greater risk of infection and that reducing it allowed for a better application of the measure.
French health authorities argued this week that many of the country’s countries considered the 14-day quarantine not too respected.