Macron tests positive, forces leaders to self-isolate
PARIS — France’s President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, his office said, prompting a track-and-trace effort across Europe following meetings between the French leader and EU heads of government in recent days.
Macron, 42, was running the country remotely after going into quarantine in the Elysee Palace, the presidency said. His wife Brigitte was also self-isolating.
Macron will cancel all upcoming trips including a Dec. 22 visit to Lebanon where the French president has led international efforts to resolve a deep-rooted political crisis.
But it was closer to home that Macron’s COVID infection spurred other leaders to take their own tests.
Macron joined all but two of the European Union’s 27 leaders at a summit in Brussels late last week to discuss climate change, the EU budget and Turkey.
Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Giuseppe Conte and others were seen initially mingling in the summit room with their face masks on. German officials said Merkel wore a mask at the summit and tested negative for the coronavirus after the summit.
More recently, Macron had lunch with European Council President Charles Michel, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and OECD chief Angel Gurria, who is 70, on Monday. He also held talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Wednesday.
Costa was in self-isolation and awaiting the results of a test, though displaying no symptoms, his office said. Sanchez’s office said he would quarantine until Dec. 24. An EU spokesman said Michel, would self-isolate as a precaution.
Macron lives a healthy, active lifestyle, his aides say. He exercises regularly and does not smoke.
Elysee Palace officials said Macron and his team were trying to assess where he could have contracted the virus. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Macron detected the first symptoms late on Wednesday.
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.
Political party chiefs from France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, were also in isolation as they had a lunch with Macron earlier this week.