Macron met several world leaders before testing Covid-19 positive. Here’s the list

French President Emmanuel Macron met several heads of state and high-level officials in the last 10 days, including most of the European leaders at a summit on December 11-12.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), joining the list of major world leaders to contract the virus. The French president was diagnosed with Covid-19 following an RT-PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms, announced Elysee.

Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez greets French President Emmanuel Macron at the European Council building in Brussels. (AP)

“In accordance with the health instructions in force applicable to all, the President of the Republic will isolate himself for 7 days. He will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely,” Elysee said in a statement.

Macron met several heads of state and high-level officials in the last 10 days, including most of the European leaders at a summit on December 11-12. Macron’s recent meetings could become a matter of concern for those who came in contact with the French president before he was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Here’s the list of some of his recent contacts:

Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal: Macron on Wednesday met the Portuguese prime minister at the Elysee Palace. Costa is now self-isolating.

Jean Castex, Prime Minister of France: Macron chaired a cabinet meeting which was attended by most of the ministers, including Prime Minister Jean Castex. The 55-year-old leader has tested negative for Covid-19 but remains in quarantine.

Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain: The Spanish leader attended an event on December 14 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) convention in Paris. Macron was present at the event.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council: Michel also attended the event in Paris and came in contact with the French president. However, an EU spokesperson said that Michel is not considered to be a close contact as per the French authorities. Sanchez and Michel have both entered quarantine.

A European Council meeting was held in Brussels on December 11-12 and most of the European leaders, including Macron, attended the summit. The attendees include:

1. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

2. Giuseppe Conte, Italian Prime Minister

3. Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister

4. Alexander De Croo, Belgian Prime Minister

5. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

A European Commission spokesperson said that von der Leyen has “no plan on self-isolating”, adding that French authorities said the meeting did not constitute a close contact that required self-isolation. France has reported over 2.4 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 59,000 deaths so far, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

(With agency inputs)