The French president is the latest leader in the world to be caught by the virus, a primary palace confirms.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been positive for COVID-19, the main Elysee Palace announced Thursday.
He said the 42-year-old director took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared”.
The brief statement did not comment on the symptoms experienced by Macron, but said he would separate himself for seven days.
“He will continue to work and pay attention to his actions at a distance,” he said.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex will also split himself after talks with Macron.
Castex is showing no symptoms but will no longer go to the French Senate on Thursday to crack down on its government’s vaccination strategy against COVID, his office said in a statement.
Macron’s wife Brigitte Macron is also self-absorbed even though she shows no symptoms, her office said.
Macron is the world’s newest leader to be captured by COVID. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump have also fought the coronavirus.
In France, since the outbreak of the pandemic, 2.4 million people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, and nearly 59,472 have died from the virus.
In comparison, Italy, the worst country in Europe in terms of deaths, has 66,537 deaths, and the United Kingdom close, with 65,618.
Lebanon tour postponed, European leaders separated
The French leadership said they were trying to find out where Macron could have contracted the virus.
Meanwhile, his trip to Lebanon, scheduled for December 22, has been canceled.
Macron went to the European Union summit last weekend. On Wednesday, Macron met Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa for a working lunch. He has also met his Egyptian colleague Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Costa has canceled official visits and is alone, his office said Thursday.
According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will split himself until December 24 after meeting with Macron on December 14.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, is also alone following news of Macron’s disease.
Alacha’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, said Macron’s disease had thrown up a “plethora” of cases.
“First of all, in terms of who the president has been in contact with over the last few days, and of course you can imagine, as a world leader, that there are a lot of people, “she said.
“We know, for example, that he met with the Prime Minister of Portugal… and he also had a meeting with the whole of France’s cabinet yesterday, Wednesday.
“And all of this is coming true at a time when France is starting to lift some of its locking restrictions.”