While French President Emmanuel Macron entered the third day in isolation after being infected with the coronavirus, his doctor said on Saturday that he was in “stable health compared to Friday”.
“He still has the same symptoms of Covid-19 disease (fatigue, cough, pain) that does not prevent him from performing his tasks,” said Dr. Jean-Christophe Perrochon in a statement, adding that regular clinical examinations “have had proved to be reassuring. “
On Friday, a day after the positive results of his coronavirus test were announced, Mr Macron released a self-made video in which he promised to “report the evolution of the disease on a daily basis” – an event and a commitment that marked a departure from tradition. the secret of France as regards the health of its presidents.
Although it is not yet clear how Mr Macron contracted the virus, French Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Thursday that he was probably not infected at the Elise Presidential Palace, but “possibly at a European Council four or five days ago in Brussels”. During a dinner with other heads of state.
On Friday, Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic was tested positive for the virus. Mr Matovic attended the same European Council meeting last week.
Speaking about the general situation in France, where the number of new daily cases has recently returned, Mr Macron warned on Friday: “We must be vigilant, because the virus is gaining strength again”.
France dropped a blockade to combat the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic just a few days ago. But the country is already facing a recurrence of infections.
“The evolution of the pandemic is worrying,” said Jérome Salomon, a top official at the French Ministry of Health, adding that the upcoming Christmas break could prove a “high-risk period”.
The number of new daily cases of Covid-19, which had fallen below 10,000 at the end of November due to blockage restrictions, has risen again to an average of 13,000 cases per day in the last seven days.
In other news from all over Europe:
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HungaryThe government is extending a moratorium on repayments of household and business loans until July and halving the local business tax collected by municipalities since January 1 to support jobs during the pandemic, according to Reuters. Opposition leaders said tax cuts would jeopardize public services and allow Prime Minister Vikto Orban’s nationalist government to put political pressure on cities.
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Northeast Aragon became the fourth region of Spain to announce a tightening of blocking restrictions before the festive Christmas season, to curb a recent increase in Covid-19 cases. On Saturday, regional leader Javier Lambán ordered residents to stay in their provinces over the Christmas holidays, reversing an earlier decision to lift the travel ban on December 21st.
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The government of Sweden, which has accepted relatively few restrictions on coronavirus and is facing a severe rise in infections, issued several new recommendations on Friday, including the use of face masks. “We need to do more now because the medical system is tense,” said Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. The new recommendations include a limit of four people per table in restaurants, cafes and bars and a ban on the sale of alcohol after 20:00 Shops, malls and gyms are asked to further limit the number of people in their premises. All non-essential state, municipal and county jobs will close until January 24.
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Italy will limit travel between regions on holidays and weekends, limiting people to their cities and towns of residence from December 21 to January 6, The Associated Press reported. There will be exceptions in four weeks, when non-essential stores will be open and people will be allowed to visit only two people from other households a day.
Raphael Minder and Christina Anderson contributed to the reporting.