Macron tests positive for COVID-19, European leaders rush for tests By Elizabeth Pineau and Michel Rose
FILE PHOTO: French President Macron welcomes Portugal s Prime Minister Costa in Paris
PARIS (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting a track-and-trace effort across Europe following numerous meetings between the French leader and EU heads of government in recent days.
Macron, who will turn 43 on Monday, is running France remotely and has gone into quarantine at the presidential retreat of La Lanterne close to the Palace of Versailles, the presidency said.
A presidential official described Macron as tired and having a cough. His wife Brigitte tested negative but was also self-isolating, staying at the Elysee palace in central Paris.
Emmanuel Macron tests positive for coronavirus
2020-12-17 HKT 19:47 Share this story
Emmanuel Macron says he will self-isolate for the next seven days and will continue to run the country remotely. File photo: Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for coronavirus, his office said on Thursday, sparking a track and trace effort targeting EU leaders and senior officials who met him in recent days. The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for Covid-19 today, Macron s office said in a statement. This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.
LISBON (REUTERS) - Portugal s Prime Minister Antonio Costa has tested negative for the coronavirus but will stay in self-isolation, his office said on Thursday (Dec 17), a day after he met French President Emmanuel Macron, who is infected. I feel good and without any symptoms, Costa, 59, wrote on Twitter shortly after he cancelled all of his in-person public activities, including an official trip to Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea Bissau between Dec 18 and Dec 20.
Costa s office said he would work remotely and wait for the health authority to decide how long he will have to stay home.
Macron and Costa had a working lunch at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday to discuss priorities of Portugal s upcoming European Council presidency, which starts next month.
Council President Charles Michel and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez entered self-isolation after the announcement on Thursday (17 December) that French President Emmanuel Macron had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
“The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today,” Macron’s office said in a statement. “This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.”
Macron would self-isolate for the next seven days and would continue to run the country remotely. His wife Brigitte was also self-isolating.
Prime Minister Jean Castex will also self isolate after coming into contact with Macron over the last few days, although he has tested negative, his office said.