German chancellor Scholz tests positive for coronavirus

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesman told the news agency dpa on Monday.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Scholz has mild symptoms and immediately entered isolation.

He has cancelled all public appearances this week but plans to take part virtually in internal government meetings, Hebestreit said.

Scholz returned from a two-day official trip to the Gulf States on Sunday and before that was at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Scholz was not the only government official to contract the virus this week: Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Twitter on Monday morning that she had also tested positive.