Berlin, Sep 27 : German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tested positive for Covid-19, a government spokesperson said.
The Chancellor, who has mild cold symptoms, “immediately went into isolation” Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, as saying on Monfay.
Scholz’ public appointments this week will be cancelled, but he will still participate virtually in a meeting with the minister presidents of federal states on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Scholz returned from a two-day trip to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
With gas supplies cut off from Russia, once a major energy source, Germany is actively seeking new partnerships in energy supply.
Germany is currently witnessing a spike in new Covid-19 cases, with the seven-day incidence per 100,000 residents climbing to 293.6 infections on Monday.
This is around 50 higher than a week ago, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.
“It is likely that an autumn wave is coming, but it is building up slowly,” said Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach on Twitter on Sunday.
Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination has recommended booster shots adapted to the new Omicron variant for certain groups, such as people over 60.
Of the 69.4 million adults in Germany aged 18 or older, around 85 per cent are vaccinated against Covid-19.
More than 72 per cent have received one booster vaccination, while around 11 per cent were immunised with two booster shots, according to official figures.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020, Germany has reported a total of 33,041,332 Covid cases and 149,576 deaths.
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