Health Minister Jens Spahn tested positive for the corona virus. So far he has only "developed cold symptoms".
The corona virus continues to spread. Health Minister Jens Spahn (40) has now tested positive. The Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday (October 21). So far only cold symptoms have occurred. The 40-year-old immediately went into domestic isolation, it said. Spahn is the first federal minister to be proven to have been infected with the corona virus.
The ministry announced that all contact persons would be "updated". Further details have not yet been given. Spahn had attended the cabinet meeting in the Chancellery on Wednesday morning. Photos show that he was wearing mouth and nose protection.
A government spokesman later said that other cabinet members do not have to be quarantined. A minimum distance would be maintained at the meetings and masks would also be worn. These precautionary measures would not require all participants to isolate themselves.
Spahn speaks up
The "Bild" newspaper said Spahn in a first statement: "I was tested positive for the corona virus today. I am in domestic isolation and have only developed cold symptoms so far. Thank you very much for the many recovery wishes. It is now first for me It is important that all contact persons are informed quickly and that everyone stays healthy. "
Söder wishes him a "mild course"
Shortly after it became known, the first politician colleagues sent the health minister well-being wishes: "Dear Jens Spahn, you are working with all your strength and great commitment against the spread of the coronavirus. I wish you all the best and hope that you will soon get better goes, "wrote CDU politicians Armin Laschet (59) on Twitter.
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (53) wished Spahn also via Twitter "Get well soon and a mild course".
Former Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (64), who himself suffered from Covid-19 in mid-March, tweeted: "Dear Jens Spahn, I know from my own experience how unpleasant a Corona infection can be. I wish you a mild course and a speedy recovery!"
Which politicians have already been affected?
FDP politician Hagen Reinhold (42) was the first member of the Bundestag to test positive for the corona virus on March 9. Also in March, the former Green chief Cem Özdemir (54) announced that he had been infected with Sars-CoV-2.
Recently, more and more top politicians had gone into quarantine as a precaution because people in their environment tested positive. On October 17th, it even hit Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (64). A corona test was positive for a bodyguard. Two subsequent tests were negative for the head of state. Just two days later, on October 19, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (47) went into quarantine as a precaution. The Corona warning app had indicated an encounter with an increased risk.
Last month, Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier (62) and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (54) went into isolation. As a precautionary measure, Chancellor Angela Merkel (66) was also in quarantine at home for almost two weeks in March. She had been vaccinated by a doctor who shortly afterwards had a corona test positive.