French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday.
It said the 42-year-old leader took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared”.
The brief statement did not mention what symptoms Macron experienced, but said he would isolate himself for seven days.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex will also self-isolate after contact with Macron.
According to his office, Castex shows no symptoms but will no longer be going to the French Senate on Thursday to outline his government’s vaccine strategy to combat COVID,
Brigitte Macron, Macron’s wife, is also self-isolating although she is not showing any symptoms, her office said.
Macron is the latest world leader to become infected with COVID. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson and United States President Donald Trump have also battled the coronavirus.
In France, since the start of the pandemic, 2.4 million people have had coronavirus, while almost 59,472 have died with the virus.
By comparison, in Italy, Europe’s worst hit country in terms of deaths, 66,537 have died, followed closely by the United Kingdom, with 65,618.
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