French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19
Wearing a white medical mask, French President Emmanuel Macron went ahead with a planned speech by videoconference Thursday, hours after testing positive for COVID-19 following a week in which he met with numerous European leaders.
The French and Spanish prime ministers and the EU Council president were among many top officials self-isolating because they had recent contact with him.
Macron took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared” on 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 42-year- old president “will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” the statement added. His wife, Brigitte, 67, tested negative on Thursday. She has no symptoms and will self-isolate as a precaution, her office said.
On Thursday afternoon, Macron took part, as planned, in a roundtable on French aid to the world’s 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 flags 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 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.
M acron joined a growing list of leaders who have tested positive for the virus, including U. S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson, who wished him a speedy recovery on Twitter.
France has a tradition of keeping strict medical privacy, including for top officials, and Macron once said he would release health information only when justified 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 French president usually only removes it when making a speech or at a press conference when he is at safe distance from others. For several months, masks have been required in all indoor public places in France and everywhere outdoors in big cities.
The French 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. The Elysee palace confirmed that a trip to Lebanon scheduled for next week is being canceled.
Some have questioned Macron’s many activities as the country is implementing strict anti-virus measures, including a lockdown since October that was only partially lifted on 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.
“Anyone can get sick, even if you are scrupulously respecting protective measures and wearing masks” he told news broadcaster France-Info.
EU leaders met in person on 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 climaterelated policies. The media was 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.