French, Spanish PMs self-isolate after Macron tests COVID-19 positive

French President Emmanuel Macron. Pic/AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, following a week when he has met with numerous European leaders. The French and Spanish prime ministers are among those self-isolating because they had recent contact with him.

Macron took a test "as soon as the first symptoms appeared" and will self-isolate for seven days, the presidency said in a brief statement. It did not detail what symptoms Macron experienced or any treatment he might be receiving.

The 42-year-old president "will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance," the statement added. His wife, Brigitte, 67, will also self-isolate but has no symptoms and tested negative on Tuesday ahead of a visit to a Paris hospital, her office said.

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. Macron also held Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

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.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson both wished Macron a speedy recovery on Twitter.

EU nations plan to start vaccinations on Dec 27
All the 27 European countries are likely to start vaccinating its citizens against the novel coronavirus starting December 27, Reuters reported on Thursday, quoting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "On 27, 28 and 29 December vaccination will start across the EU," von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

Staff prepare the Pfizer vaccine injection for a woman at a drive-in centre in England. Pic/AFP

"In Germany we will start, if the approval comes as planned, on Dec 27. The other countries in the EU want to be able to start and want to start from Dec 27," the Guardian quoted German Health Minister Jens Spahn as saying on Thursday.

According to the Guardian, the bloc could make the final decision on approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 23. Reuters reported that the package of doses is expected to start on December 26 from vaccine production sites in Belgium and Germany.

Shots in Asia-Pacific only in mid or late '21
The World Health Organization on Thursday said nations in the Asia-Pacific region are not guaranteed to have early access to COVID-19 shots and urged them to adopt a long-term approach to the pandemic. While some nations that have independent vaccine purchase deals might start vaccination in the coming months, others could see vaccination begin in the middle or late 2021, said Dr Socorro Escalante, WHO's coordinator for essential medicines and health technologies.

Free vaccinations in NZ by mid-2021
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday said the entire nation will get the vaccines by middle of 2021, and for free, Reuters reported. The government has struck agreements with British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and American firm Novavax.

A nurse fills a syringe with Sputnik V vaccine. Pic/AFP

Not many takers for Russia shots
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has received a mixed response, with reports of empty Moscow clinics that offered the shot to health care workers and teachers. Russians are concerned about how it was rushed out while still in its late-stage testing to ensure its effectiveness and safety. "There is no absolute confidence yet," said Dr Alexander Zatsepin, a recipient.

3,59,956
Total no. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

7,25,56,942
Total no. of cases worldwide

16,52,117
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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