“I am doing well. I have the same symptoms as yesterday: tiredness, headaches, dry cough. Like hundreds of thousands of others of you,” Macron said in a video message posted on his Twitter account that he appeared to have recorded himself with a phone.

“My activity is a little slowed down due to the virus. But I am continuing to take care of the priority issues like the epidemic or, for example, Brexit,” he said.

“I have a message for all of you. Continue to take care of yourselves. The virus can hit anyone. I was well protected and very careful,” he said in his message.

“Despite everything, I got the virus. Perhaps it was a moment of carelessness but also maybe bad luck,” he said.

He added that he was posting the video to ensure total transparency over his health. 

France has historically been rather secretive over the health of its presidents, with both François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac experiencing major health problems while in office which went unreported.

Macron moved to the presidential residence La Lanterne in Versailles on Thursday evening. His wife Brigitte, who has tested negative, will remain in self-isolation at the Elysée.

It is not clear where Macron contracted the virus although presidential sources have said he may have picked it up while attending an EU summit in Brussels late last week where leaders had 20 hours of non-stop negotiation. 

Adding to concern over possible infections at the summit, Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said Friday he had tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the EU Council.

“Today, I am one of you,” Matovic, 47, wrote on his Facebook page, attaching a screenshot of a text message with his test results.

The president has been the subject of some criticism in France after his schedule revealed that he had been having regular lunches and dinners with fellow politicians, including a dinner at the Elysée which exceeded the recommended maximum number of six people. Officials say that the table was large enough to ensure appropriate social distancing.

Dozens of people who have come into contact with Macron in recent days are now self-isolating, including five prime ministers and an EU leader.

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