Lithuania's FM Linas Linkevičius self-isolates after COVID-19 contact during Macron visit

Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius  in Vilnius, Lithuania on August 11, 2020.
Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius in Vilnius, Lithuania on August 11, 2020. Copyright AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis
By Euronews with AP
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Two staff members of the Frech embassy in Vilnius - who were part of President Emmanuel Macron's delegation when he visited Lithuania last week - have tested positive for COVID-19.

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Lithuania's foreign minister is spending a week in isolation after coming in close contact with a French diplomat infected with COVID-19 during a visit to the country by President Emmanuel Macron.

A spokesperson for the Lithuanian foreign ministry said it had been told two staff members from the French embassy in Vilnius — who had been part of French President Emmanuel Macron's delegation — had tested positive for COVID-19.

"Minister Linas Linkevičius was a member of the official delegation during President E. Macron's visit and had close contact with an infected person from the French delegation. Therefore Minister L. Linkevicius is in self-isolation for a week," the statement read.

Linkevičius's own test came back negative but he will continue to work from home for the rest of the week.

The French leader visited Vilnius on September 28-29 and met with President Gitanas Nausėda. It wasn't immediately clear if Macron had been in contact with the two infected people or if he has been tested.

A spokesman for the Frech embassy in Vilnius said that the "whole delegation coming from Paris tested negative before leaving as requested by the Lithuanian authorities and all necessary precautions were respected during the visit" including social distancing and mask-wearing.

The embassy closed its doors to the public on Sunday "until further notice", it announced.

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