The office of the French President has announced President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19.
President Macron took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared” and will isolate himself for seven days, according to the statement. “He will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” it added.
The brief statement did not give details of the symptoms the French president was experiencing.
Mr Macron was due to visit Lebanon next week. The trip has now been cancelled, the office said.
The diagnosis comes after French Prime Minister, Jean Castex intimated that people in France could start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech in the last week of December, if European Union authorities approve it next week.
Mr Castex told parliament that the vaccine campaign in France would then be stepped up in January, with the elderly and other more vulnerable groups coming first in the queue.
France has already pre-ordered 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, he added.
The government is hoping to give jabs to around one million people in nursing homes during January and February, and then a further 14-15 million people in the wider population between March and June.
France is waiting for the EU’s regulatory agency to approve a vaccine. The European Medicines Agency has brought forward a meeting on the issue to December 21 from December 29.
“Likely that the first Europeans will be vaccinated before end 2020,” EU President, Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter earlier this week.
France has been battling a resurgence of the pandemic in recent weeks, despite a month-long lockdown that ended on Tuesday, 15th December.
The number of daily new cases has failed to fall below the official target of 5,000 and the government has consequently opted for a less extensive loosening of restrictive measures than initially planned.
France’s predicament is echoed around Europe as several countries have imposed tighter coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas this week.
Government officials in Netherlands imposed a second national lockdown which is expected to last for at least five weeks.
Dutch households will not be allowed to have more than two visitors over the age of 13, and all public places, including hairdressers and day care centres, will close until 19 January.
Schools will close until 18 January and people have been advised to stay at home, not travel to work and avoid contact with others as much as possible.
Likewise in Germany, a hard lockdown has been enacted with schools and non-essential shops to be closed throughout Christmas and the New Year.
Germany has been under a light lockdown since the beginning of November, with bars, restaurants and tourist attractions closed, but shopping and education allowed.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has blamed Christmas shopping for a “considerable” rise in social contacts.
The new restrictions will last until 10 January but will be relaxed slightly from 24 to 26 December, with a five-person limit – but Ms Merkel recommended a week of self-isolation before.
Drinking will be banned in public and firework sales will be prohibited before New Year’s Eve, while religious gatherings will be allowed but only if people remain 1.5m apart and do not sing.
In Italy, a ban on travelling between different regions is in place from 21 December to 6 January and people will not be allowed to leave their hometowns on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
A 10pm-5am curfew imposed earlier will remain, meaning traditional midnight mass will not be able to happen, although churches can remain open.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians to expect a “more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses”.
