Spain's Queen Letizia is tested for coronavirus
Spain’s Queen Letizia is tested for coronavirus after minister she KISSED at the end of a meeting is diagnosed with the disease
- Queen Letizia of Spain has been tested for coronavirus after greeting equality minister Irene Montero
- The former journalist shook hands and kissed the government minister on the cheek at an event on Friday
- Mrs Montero was diagnosed with COVID-19 after the meeting with an association caring for prostitutes
- Confirmation the royal had been tested along with Spanish King Felipe VI came after the diagnosis
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Queen Letizia of Spain has been tested for coronavirus after a government minister she met recently was diagnosed with the disease.
The former journalist shook hands with equality minister Irene Montero as she arrived at an event they both attended last Friday in Madrid.
And the pair were pictured giving each other the traditional Spanish kiss on the cheek as Letizia left the meeting with an association caring for prostitutes.
Confirmation the royal had been tested along with Spanish King Felipe VI came after it was announced Mrs Montero had become the first Spanish government minister to go down with coronavirus.
Queen Letizia of Spain has been tested for coronavirus after equality minister Irene Montero was diagnosed with the disease
Confirmation the royal had been tested along with Spanish King Felipe VI came after it was announced Mrs Montero (left) had become the first Spanish government minister to go down with coronavirus
On Wednesday the Spanish royals had lunch with French president Emmanuelle Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the Elysee Palace (pictured)
She and her partner Pedro Iglesias, one of Spain’s deputy PMs, have both been quarantined.
A Spanish Royal Family spokesman confirmed the tests on the monarchs were taking place because of Queen Letizia’s ‘recent public activity’ and government advice.
The results are expected to be made public tomorrow.
The former journalist shook hands with Mrs Montero as she arrived at an event they both attended last Friday in Madrid
Queen Letizia was in close proximity to the minister as they attended a meeting with an association caring for prostitutes
The pair sat together during the meeting, just days before Mrs Montero tested positive for COVID-19 and went into quarantine
French President Macron and his wife welcomed Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia before a lunch at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday
King Felipe VI has cancelled a meeting he was due to hold today with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic, just a day after spending time with the French president and his wife
The royals took part in a ceremony to honour victims of terror attacks in Europe, on the 16th anniversary of Madrid attacks, at the Trocadero in Paris
King Felipe VI has cancelled a meeting he was due to hold today with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS?
Like other coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold and that triggered SARS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.
The most common symptoms are:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
Although having a runny nose doesn’t rule out coronavirus, it doesn’t thus far appear to be a primary symptom.
Most people only become mildly ill, but the infection can turn serious and even deadly, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions.
In these cases, patients develop pneumonia, which can cause:
- Potentially with yellow, green or bloody mucus
- Fever, sweating and shaking chills
- Shortness of breath Rapid or shallow breathing
- Pain when breathing, especially when breathing deeply or coughing
- Low appetite, energy and fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting (more common in children) Confusion (more common in elderly people)
- Some patients have also reported diarrhea and kidney failure has occasionally been a complication.
Avoid people with these symptoms. If you develop them, call your health care provider before going to the hospital or doctor, so they and you can prepare to minimize possible exposure if they suspect you have coronavirus.
On Sunday Queen Letizia came into close contact with the basketball players in the final of the Spanish Queen Cup. She handed the winning team the trophy at Sanchez Paraiso stadium.
She also sat in the crowd to watch as Perfumerias Avenida played against Spar CityLift Girona.
On Wednesday the Spanish royals had lunch with French president Emmanuelle Macron and his wife at the Elysee Palace.
The number of people to die with coronavirus in Spain has now reached 86.
At 1pm today the number of coronavirus cases stood at 2968, 816 more than yesterday. Nearly 1,400 are in Madrid, where schools were ordered to shut yesterday for two weeks.
Real Madrid’s footballers were also put in quarantine today after it emerged a Real Madrid basketball player had tested positive for coronavirus.
Spain’s government underwent coronavirus testing after the number of cases soared to 2,968.
It is up from 2,140 on Wednesday evening, with deaths leaping from 48 to 84 within the same time frame.
‘This morning, all members of the government will undergo testing,’ a statement said, indicating the results would be published later in the day.
‘The minister (Irene Montero) is in a good condition and second deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias is also in quarantine due to the situation.’
Mrs Montero tested positive on Wednesday evening, three days after appearing at a mass march of some 120,000 people through Madrid for International Women’s Day.
A special cabinet meeting to discuss an emergency plan of action to respond to the crisis went ahead at midday as planned, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and 14 other ministers, it said.
However, all of Sanchez’s upcoming appointments would be conducted by video conference.
Spain has seen the number of infections spiral since the start of the week, becoming one of the worst-hit countries in Europe. Madrid has borne the brunt of the crisis with 1,388 infections and 38 deaths.
The International Women’s Day demonstration on Sunday evening took place just hours before health authorities detected a huge spike in infections.
Meanwhile occupancy rates at Spanish hotels have fallen dramatically, with some hotels left empty, and there are ‘no new bookings’, according to a top official at Spain’s hotels and tourist accommodations federation CEHAT revealed.
‘A tsunami has arrived. A meteorite has fallen on us and we have to see how we survive,’ CEHAT Secretary General Ramon Estalella said, urging the Spanish government to take measures to avoid bankruptcies and layoffs at hotel companies.
Queen Letizia is pictured with Mrs Montero, who has now been placed into quarantine, and the APRAM president Rocio Nieto
The pair spent a significant period of time together on Friday, March 6, before Mrs Montero started having symptoms and Queen Letizia travelled to France
The royal couple stood in close proximity to the French President and his wife during the course of Wednesday’s ceremony
Spain’s government underwent coronavirus testing today after the number of cases soared to 2,968. But the royals travelled to France for a ceremony on Wednesday
It is not yet known whether Queen Letizia has the virus, but she has been quarantined while they wait for the results of the test
The lower house of parliament, already shut, will extend its closure, Cadena Ser radio said. Health Minister Salvador Illa cancelled plans to speak in parliament about the coronavirus in what would have been an exception to the suspension.
Sanchez will head a reduced cabinet meeting on Thursday only attended by the ministers whose presence is needed to approve new measures to stop coronavirus spreading.
The cabinet is set to approve a package of measures to mitigate the economic impact of the outbreak.
In Madrid, the impact of the virus and measures taken to combat it have already had an impact, with metro stations and bars unusually quiet.
The results of the royals’ test for coronavirus are expected to be released tomorrow. Queen Letizia is pictured with Brigitte Macron on Wednesday
The royals clapped as they stood alongside President Macron and Brigitte during the ceremony to honor terror attack victims
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia enjoyed a lunch with Macron and First Lady Brigitte at the Elysee Palace in Paris
President Macron patted King Felipe on the arm despite warnings that people should stay at least a metre apart to avoid spreading the virus
‘Business has gone down a lot, really a lot,’ said José Manuel González, the 58-year old manager of the Santa Barbara cafe.
‘It’s very quiet at lunchtime, things have dropped by 40- 50 per cent since the school shutdown. That’s when things started to change.’
Madrid health authorities asked people to donate blood, after a drop in blood donations over the past days.
Doctors in the capital have said over the past days that they were worried they could run out of beds in intensive care units.
On Sunday, two days after kissing Mrs Montero on the cheek, Queen Letizia landed over the trophy to celebrate the end of the Spanish Queen Cup basketball final
The queen sat in a crown as she watched the final between Perfumerias Avenida and Spar CityLift Girona at Sanchez Paraiso stadium
Queen Letizia commiserated a missed opportunity as she cheered on the teams at the trophy final game
Queen Letizia of Spain handed Silvia Dominguez of Perfumerias Avenida the Queen Cup trophy at the end of the Spanish ‘Queen Cup’ basketball final
Queen Letizia came into close contact with the Spanish Queen Cup final players as she celebrated with the winning team
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