Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel will quarantine herself at home after being treated by a doctor who has since tested positive for coronavirus – as the country bans gatherings of more than two people to stop the spread of the disease.
‘The Chancellor has decided to quarantine herself at home. She will be tested regularly in the coming days… (and) fulfil her official business from home,’ Steffen Seibert said in a statement.
The doctor had visited Merkel, 65, on Friday to vaccinate her against the pneumococcus bacteria.
Mr Seibert added: ‘It could take some time to determine whether the chancellor is herself infected as ‘a test would not yet be fully conclusive.’
It comes just hours after she banned gatherings of more than two people in a nationwide crackdown to stop the spread of the killer disease.
Around 73 people have died in Germany after testing positive for COVID-19, which has infected almost 22,000 across the nation.
‘Our own behaviour is the most effective way’ of slowing the rate of infection, Merkel said of the nationwide measures, which are expected to remain in place for two weeks.