According to the AP and KSL, French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, after he met with numerous other European leaders.
“Macron attended a European Union summit at the end of last week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It was not immediately clear what contact tracing efforts were in progress.
EU leaders met in person on Dec 10-11, for the first time since October. The media has been 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.
“During the European Council of Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December all sanitary measures were observed and we have not been informed of any other participant or staff present during the summit who tested positive,” said an EU official, who was not allowed to be identified publicly.
Macron had lunch on Wednesday with the prime minister of Portugal. There was no immediate comment from Portuguese officials.
The Spanish government, however, announced that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who met Macron in Paris on Monday, will place himself in quarantine until Dec. 24. Sánchez informed Spain´s King Felipe VI of the decision and canceled a Thursday appearance at Spain´s National Library.”
