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Taoiseach Micheál Martin tested negative for Covid-19 after coming into close contact with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Martin had been restricting his movements after meeting Macron, who tested positive Thursday morning.
Martin attended the European Council meeting with Macron last Thursday and Friday.
Before the negative result was confirmed Thursday night, a spokesperson said that Martin had already undergone a test on his return from Brussels and that the result had been negative, but he would limit his contacts and take another test as a precaution. .
EU officials had contacted to say that no other leaders had tested positive after Macron’s test, he said.
It was previously known that Macron had tested positive for Covid-19 after showing symptoms. “The President of the Republic has been diagnosed with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis today,” his office said in a statement. “This diagnosis was made after a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.”
French President Emmanuel Macron. Photograph: Ian Langsdon / EPA
The president said that he would isolate himself for the next seven days, but that he will continue to work and fulfill functions through remote work.
The Elysee said it was not known at this time how Macron had contracted Covid-19. His office was in the process of identifying his close contacts.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has suspended all public activities and will self-quarantine until December 24 after being in contact with Macron.
Sánchez and Macron met in Paris on Monday. Video footage of Macron welcoming the Spanish prime minister at the Elysee Palace showed the two wearing masks and not shaking hands.
Sánchez, whose wife contracted the virus at the beginning of the pandemic in March, will be tested for Covid-19.
An EU official said Macron is understood to have been a contagion risk as of Monday, and that no other participant in a summit of European leaders three days earlier has reported a positive result so far.
“The monitoring of information from French authorities Emmanuel Macron is considered a potential risk of contagion as of Monday night, December 14,” said an EU official.
“During the European Council on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December, all sanitary measures were observed and we have not been informed of any other participant or personnel present during the summit who tested positive.
The all-night summit, which ran from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning of last week, was attended by all European leaders, including the Taoiseach.
Macron was due to travel to Lebanon next week. He met with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa for a working lunch on Wednesday.
France has moved from a strict lockdown to a curfew this week and will further ease restrictions for the Christmas holidays. – Additional information Reuters / Bloomberg
