Tango-Tiger

The French government says President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"The president tested positive for COVID-19 today," a statement from the presidency said สล็อต Thursday. It said Macron had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms."

The government said Macron will self-isolate for seven days, in accordance with national regulations, and will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely.

European leaders self-isolate

Other European Union leaders are now scrambling either to get tested themselves or to work out whether they need to self-isolate. Macron had contact with many of them in past few days. On Wednesday the 42-year-old French leader met with the prime minister of Portugal, António Costa, in Paris.

Macron had lunch this week with Charles Michel, leader of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who also had lunch with Macron, says he is suspending all his public activities as a precaution and will get tested and plans to self-isolate until December 24.

Last week, Macron was at a European Council heads of state meeting and was pictured close to Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz. He also shook hands with Angel Gurria, head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This week he had a private dinner with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt.



Jean Castex, France’s prime minister, said Thursday he will self-isolate. Most political party leaders in parliament have also had contact with Macron and are also planning to stop all public activities and to cancel all meetings.

Cases soar in Britain

In Britain, meanwhile millions more people have been placed under the toughest coronavirus restrictions in the run-up to Christmas as cases continue to soar in the south-east and south of England.

“This is a moment when we act with caution,” said Matt Hancock, the British health minister. He said cases in the southeast were up by 46 percent and hospital admissions up by third.

The country’s interior minister, Priti Patel, has said people should cancel any Christmas travel plans they are making, if it involves them moving between areas with high and low rates of infection. Her plea goes beyond official guidance set out midweek by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for people to enjoy small holiday celebrations.

Johnson said a “smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.”