BERLIN (AP) — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier tested positive for coronavirus, the head of state's office said Tuesday, while the infection rate in the country remains persistently high.
Steinmeier's wife, Elke Buedenbender, also tested positive, the presidential office added. Both have mild symptoms and immediately went into isolation.
Steinmeier has been president of Germany, a largely ceremonial office, but with moral authority, since 2017. Prior to that, he was twice Foreign Minister to Chancellor Angela Merkel and head of office of her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder.
He was elected to a second five-year term in February.
Germany is currently in the process of lifting most of its coronavirus restrictions, despite an increase in infections. On Tuesday, the national center for disease control said that in the previous 24 hours 222,000 new cases were reported, in addition to 264 deaths, bringing the total in the country since the start of the pandemic to 127,193.
The national infection rate was 1,733.4 new cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, compared to 1,585.4 a week earlier.
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