Macron tests positive for coronavirus
French president, who met with European leaders recently, will self- isolate for a week.
PARIS — Wearing a white medical mask, French President Emmanuel Macron went ahead with a planned speech by videoconference Thursday, hours after testing positive for the coronavirus following a week in which he met with numerous European leaders.
The French and Spanish prime ministers and the European Council president were among many top officials in quarantine because they had recent contact with him.
Macron took a test “as soon as the f irst symptoms appeared” Thursday morning and will self- isolate for seven days, in line with national health authorities’ recommendations, the presidency said in a brief statement. It did not detail what symptoms Macron experienced or what treatment he might be receiving.
The president, 42, “will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” the statement said. His wife, Brigitte, 67, tested negative Thursday. She has no symptoms and will quarantine herself as a precaution, her office said.
On Thursday afternoon, Macron took part, as planned, in a roundtable on French aid to the poorest countries — but via videoconference instead of attending in person.
Wearing a high- protection, medical- grade mask — instead of the fabric versions emblazoned with the French f lag that he often wears — he showed no apparent sign of being affected by the disease, speaking in a clear, loud voice. He did not mention the virus in his speech.
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said contact- tracing efforts were in progress. He said that Macron started to feel symptoms overnight and that he will keep working from the Elysee presidential palace.
“The virus has been circulating in France and worldwide for several months, and the presidency and government are used to working in these circumstances,” Attal said.
Macron joined a growing list of leaders who have tested positive for the virus, including President Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Trump called Macron on Thursday evening to get some news and wish him a speedy recovery, the Elysee Palace said, adding that dozens of other world leaders expressed their support via messages and phone calls.
France has a tradition of keeping strict medical privacy, including for top officials, and Macron once said he would release health information only when justif ied by the impact it could have on his presidency.
Macron and people in his entourage have rarely been seen in public without a mask in recent months. The president usually removes it only when making a speech or attending a news conference — when he is at a safe distance from others. For months, masks have been required for all indoor public places in France and everywhere outdoors in big cities.
The president has had multiple in- person meetings in recent days at home and in Brussels, where he attended a European Union summit at the end of last week.
Health Minister Olivier Veran singled out the Brussels meeting as the possible source of infection.
The president “apparently wasn’t contaminated during a lunch or dinner at the Elysee but seemingly, according to what we hear, at least possibly” at the summit, Veran said, adding that European leaders had shared supper in a big room in Brussels.
Some have questioned Macron’s many activities as the country is implementing strict measures, including a lockdown since October that was only partially lifted Tuesday and now includes a curfew from 8 p. m. to 6 a. m. All restaurants and bars, tourist sites and many other public places remain closed.
“Zero risk doesn’t exist. We are all equal in the face of this disease,” said Thomas Mesnier, a lawmaker from Macron’s party and emergency doctor by training.
European Union leaders met in person Dec. 10- 11 for the first time since October, as the summit involved key negotiations on the EU’s long- term budget and recovery fund and climate- related policies. The media were kept away from the summit venue, but television images showed the leaders wearing masks and generally practicing social distancing — preferring elbow bumps to the usual handshakes, kisses and hugs.