
Al-jazeera: The corona virus pandemic has spread to at least 185 countries and territories, with the worldwide death toll from the virus surpassing the 151,000 mark on April 17.
Among the 2.2 cases recorded globally are government officials, celebrities and sports personalities as authorities around the world grapple to contain the spread of the virus.
Many high-profile events have been cancelled. They include the annual Met Gala – often referred to as fashion’s biggest night out – which was postponed indefinitely from its scheduled date in May, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the United States.
The Cannes Film Festival, due to be held in France in May, has also been postponed, with organisers now looking at June or July dates.
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and singer Rita Wilson, British actor Idris Elba, Britain’s Prince Charles, singer Pink and opera singer Placido Domingo are some of the best-known people to be infected so far.
Who else has been affected?
Government officials, spouses:
Carmen Calvo: Spain’s deputy prime minister tested positive for corona virus on March 25, the Spanish government said.
Prince Charles: The Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne tested positive for the coronavirus on March 25. The 71-year-old is displaying mild symptoms “but otherwise remains in good health”, said a spokesman for the Clarence House royal residence, adding that he was self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland. Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested but does not have the virus.
Abba Kyari: The Nigerian president’s chief of staff has tested positive for corona virus, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on March 24. In his 70s, Kyari is an important figure in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Rand Paul: The Republican from Kentucky is the first US senator to test positive for corona virus.
Prince Albert: Monaco’s Prince Albert II has tested positive for the novel corona virus, the principality said in a statement on Thursday, adding there were “no concerns for his health” and that the titular head of the Mediterranean enclave is continuing to work from his private apartments at the royal palace.
Michel Barnier: The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator said in a tweet that he has tested positive for the virus.
Bento Albuquerque: Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque has tested positive for corona virus – the second cabinet member to be infected.
Augusto Heleno: Brazil’s national security adviser said on March 18 on his Twitter account that he has tested positive for corona virus, though he did not have any symptoms. Heleno, 72, a retired army general and one of Bolsonaro’s closest aides, said he is currently under isolation at his home while waiting for a second test.
Jeremy Issacharoff: Israel’s ambassador to Germany has tested positive for the corona virus, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement March 17. Issacharoff was reported to have contracted the virus following a meeting with a deputy from the Federal Assembly of Germany, whose name was not mentioned.
Friedrich Merz: The 64-year-old politician, who has been campaigning to lead Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at a congress planned for this year, said on Twitter on March 17 that he tested positive for corona virus and was under self-isolation at home.
Kozo Tashima: The head of Japan’s football association tested positive for the virus on March 17. Tashima is also deputy head of Japan’s Olympic Committee.
Nadine Dorries: A minister in the UK’s health department was the first British politician to test positive on March 10.
Peter Dutton: The Australian home affairs minister was placed in isolation in hospital after contracting the virus.
Massoumeh Ebtekar: The Iranian vice president is the country’s highest government official to be infected, while several other senior officials in the country, including Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s deputy health minister, were also stricken. Iran is the epicentre of the corona virus outbreak in the Middle East.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau: On March 12, the wife of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tested positive for COVID-19 following a trip to the United Kingdom. Gregoire Trudeau said she planned to remain in isolation for the next two weeks, together with her husband. Her symptoms have been described as mild.
Begona Gomez: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife tested positive, officials in his office said late on Saturday. While Begona Gomez tested positive, the health of both she and the prime minister was fine, the officials said. Spain said it would place the entire country under lockdown as the number of diagnosed cases exceeded 6,000.
Quim Torra: The local leader of Spain’s Catalonia region said on March 16 that he had tested positive for the corona virus and that he was going into self-isolation in a government building.
Pere Aragones: The Catalan deputy head of government announced on March 15 that he had also tested positive for corona virus.
Irene Montero: The Spanish minister tested positive on March 15 and has been put in isolation along with her partner, Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias.
Franck Riester: Earlier this week, the French minister of culture said he was staying at his home in Paris after contracting the virus. France has also imposed a partial lockdown to check the spread of COVID-19.
Francis Suarez: The mayor of the US city of Miami confirmed, on March 13, that he has contracted COVID-19.
Fabio Wajngarten: The press secretary for Brazilian President Bolsonaro tested positive after he returned from a US trip where he met, among others, US President Trump, who later tested negative.
Michal Wos: Poland’s environment minister has tested positive for corona virus, he said in a tweet on March 16.
Oumarou Idani: Burkina Faso’s minister of mines has tested positive.
Stanislas Ouaro: Burkina Faso’s minister of education is confirmed to have COVID-19.
Simeon Sawadogo: Burkina Faso’s interior minister has the new corona virus.
Alpha Barry: Burkina Faso’s foreign minister tested positive for COVID-19, he said on Twitter on March 20.
Boris Johnson:The 55-year-old prime minister of the United Kingdom said on March 27 that he tested positive for corona virus and was self-isolating. He was hospitalised on April 5 in what his office described as a “precautionary step”. Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit on April 6 after his symptoms worsened, and asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him “where necessary”.
Matthew Hancock: Britain’s Health Secretary Matthew Hancock announced on March 27 he tested positive for the corona virus. Hancock said he would be self-isolating and working from home.
Alister Jack: Scottish Secretary and member of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet has developed symptoms of COVID-19.
Seyi Makinde: Nigeria’s Oyo State Governor has tested positive for the novel corona virus.
Yaakov Litzman: Israel’s health minister and his wife tested positive for the novel corona virus on April 1.
Ali Larijani: Iran’s parliament said on April 2 its speaker tested positive for the corona virus and is in quarantine.
Zoran Zaev and Hristijan Mickoski: On April 10 the leaders of North Macedonia’s two biggest parties were ordered to self-isolate for two weeks after being interviewed by a TV reporter infected with corona virus.
Khalif Mumin Tohow: The justice minister of Somalia’s autonomous Hirshabelle state died on April 12 after contracting the corona virus. Tohow died in Mogadishu’s Martini hospital a day after he tested positive for COVID-19 in the town of Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabelle.
Celebrities:
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson: The popular Hollywood couple announced on March 11 that they were infected and were admitted to a Gold Coast hospital in Australia.
Olga Kurylenko: The French actress, who starred in the Bond movie Quantum of Solace, announced on March 15 that she had tested positive for the corona virus.
Idris Elba: The British actor and musician said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16 in a video posted on social media and that, although he had no symptoms so far, he was isolating himself from others.
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