French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, following a week when he has met with numerous European leaders. The French and Spanish prime ministers are among those self-isolating because they had recent contact with him.
Macron took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared” and will self-isolate for seven days, the presidency said in a brief statement. It did not detail what symptoms Macron experienced or any treatment he might be receiving.
The 42-year-old president “will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” the statement added. His wife, Brigitte, 67, will also self-isolate but has no symptoms and tested negative on Tuesday ahead of a visit to a Paris hospital, her office said.
Macron attended a European Union summit at the end of last week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It was not immediately clear what contact tracing efforts were in progress.
EU leaders met in person on Dec 10-11, for the first time since October. The media has been kept away from the summit venue in Brussels, but television images showed the leaders wearing masks, generally keeping good distancing – preferring elbow bumps to the usual handshakes, kisses and hugs – and occasionally using hand gel dispensers in the room.
“During the European Council of Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December all sanitary measures were observed and we have not been informed of any other participant or staff present during the summit who tested positive,” said an EU official, who was not allowed to be identified publicly.
Macron had lunch on Wednesday with the prime minister of Portugal. There was no immediate comment from Portuguese officials.
The Spanish government, however, announced that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who met Macron in Paris on Monday, will place himself in quarantine until Dec. 24. Sánchez informed Spain´s King Felipe VI of the decision and canceled a Thursday appearance at Spain´s National Library.
Macron also held the government’s weekly Cabinet meeting Wednesday. French Prime Minister Jean Castex’s office said that he will also self-isolate for seven days. A day earlier, Macron had lunch with the heads of political groups at the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament.
The French presidency confirmed that Macron’s trip to Lebanon scheduled for next week is being canceled.