Austrian Chancellor Nehammer Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Austrian Chancellor Nehammer Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer departs after attending an EU Summit at the European Council building in Brussels on Dec. 17, 2021. Johanna Geron/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

BERLIN—Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has tested positive for the coronavirus, the chancellery said on Friday, adding that he was in self-isolation and was not showing symptoms.

“There is no need to worry, I am fine and doing well,” the chancellery quoted Nehammer as saying.

The infection apparently occurred on Wednesday evening due to contact with a member of his security team, who tested positive on Thursday, the chancellery said in a statement.

Nehammer, a conservative who has been vaccinated three times, is conducting official business from home via video and telephone conferences and will not attend any public appointments in the next few days. Nehammer’s wife and children tested negative, the chancellery said.

The news came after Nehammer, 49, announced new measures on Thursday designed to curb the spread of the pandemic and pressed on with plans to make vaccinations mandatory from next month.

By Riham Alkousaa and Michael Shields