France's President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the nation's presidential palace, also known as the Élysée.
Macron is the most recent major world leader to have contracted the coronavirus, following President Donald Trump, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro.
French President Tests Positive For COVID-19
The president will cancel all his forthcoming trips, including a slated visit to Lebanon, according to a France presidency spokeswoman.
Macron reportedly took a test "as soon as the first symptoms appeared," reported WRBL.
He will now self-quarantine for seven days. It follows a week after his meet-up with many other European officials, some of whom were also imposed quarantine.
The EU Council president and the French and Spanish prime ministers were among several top officials self-isolating due to their recent contact with Macron.
The presidency's brief statement did not expound on Macron's symptoms or any treatment he is being administered.
The 42-year-old president "will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance," further added the statement, reported The World.
The French president's first lady, Brigitte, 67, will also self-isolate but is asymptomatic and tested negative on Tuesday prior to a visit to a Paris hospital, according to her office.
Macron was present at a number of high-profile events recently, including an EU summit.
According to the Elysée on Thursday, "The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today." The diagnosis was made after a "test performed at the onset of the first symptoms," reported BBC.
PM Jean Castex has undergone quarantine despite testing negative on Thursday. National Assembly President Richard Ferrand is also isolating for seven days.
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Due to his age of 42, Macron is not part of the population most susceptible to serious complications from COVID-19. In the course of the pandemic, he has taken the threat of the virus seriously and was always donning a face mask.
Castex has taken a test for the virus and had a negative result. He will take another test in seven days in accordance with health measures.
On Monday, Macron met with various leaders in Paris, which includes European Council President Charles Michel.
According to French government spokesman Gabriel Attal, contact tracing efforts were underway. Macron will keep working from the presidential palace.
The French president was present at a European Union summit at the conclusion of the previous week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On Wednesday, he engaged with the prime minister of Portugal.
Macron is acting in accordance with French health authorities' advisory that since September have reduced the self-quarantine duration from 14 days to seven. According to authorities, this is the period when there is the greatest susceptibility of contagion, and that diminishing it allows better enforcement of the measure.
Fifty-two-year-old Ambrose Dlamini, prime minister of Eswatini, the small monarchy that neighbors South Africa, is the only global leader who has died from COVID-19.
