Virus-stricken Emmanuel Macron at presidential retreat in Versailles with fever

French President Emmanuel Macron virtually attends a round table for the National Humanitarian Conference (NHC) at the Foreign Ministry in Paris

Credit: CHARLES PLATIAU /AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron is self-isolating in the presidential retreat in Versailles and is currently suffering from a fever, cough and fatigue, officials with the presidency said Friday.

As Mr Macron battles the coronavirus, French doctors are warning families who are heading for the holidays to remain cautious because of an uptick in infections — especially at the dinner table.

While Mr Macron routinely wears a mask and adheres to social distancing rules, he hosted or took part in multiple group meals in the days before testing positive Thursday. Critics say that’s a bad example for compatriots advised to keep their gatherings to six people.

Mr Macron is isolating at the official residence La Lanterne, in Versailles

Credit: Christophe Ena /AP

Although officials gave details of Mr Macron’s current symptoms, they wouldn’t provide details of his treatment. He is staying at the presidential residence of La Lanterne in the former royal city of Versailles.

Mr Macron’s positive test comes as French health authorities are again seeing a rise in infections and warning of more as French families prepare to get together for Christmas and New Year festivities. France reported another 18,254 new infections Thursday and its death toll is just under 60,000.

France’s Pasteur Institute released a study on Friday suggesting that meal times at home and in public are a major source of contamination. Pasteur epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet said on France-Inter radio that during the holidays, "we can see each other, simply not be too numerous, and at critical moments at meals, not too many people at the same table."

Coronavirus France Spotlight Chart — Cases default

Mr Macron’s aides have scrambled to contact all the people he had been near in recent days. The French health minister suggested that he might have been infected at an EU summit in Brussels last week, but Mr Macron had multiple meetings in Paris as well.

The 42-year-old president took a test "as soon as the first symptoms appeared" on Thursday morning and will self-isolate for seven days, in line with national health authorities’ recommendations, the presidency said in a brief statement. Mr Macron "will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance," the statement added. He went ahead with a planned speech by videoconference Thursday.