German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine following contact with a doctor who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The doctor administered a precautionary vaccine against bacterial pneumonia to Merkel on Friday.
Merkel, 65, decided to self-quarantine after learning of the doctor's diagnosis on Sunday (local time), spokesperson Steffen Seibert confirmed on Sunday.
The 65-year-old physicist, who suffered unexplained shaking fits last year, will be regularly tested over the coming days and will work from home, Seibert said.
The Chancellor had announced new measures to contain Germany's COVID-19 outbreak shortly before she was informed of her doctor's positive test.
"I've cancelled almost all appointments where people would have come into the chancellery or where I would have gone to people... so my life has also changed fundamentally and consists mainly of telephone and video conferences," Merkel explained during her press conference on Sunday.
She reiterated the importance of social distancing, noting that "the risk of infection is reduced almost to zero" if people stand 1.5 metres apart.
Germany's ruling coalition is reportedly aiming to get a supplementary budget worth €150 billion (NZ$283 billion) through parliament this week to counter the economic impacts of COVID-19.
According to Reuters, government sources say Merkel's cabinet is set to back the budget during Monday's cabinet meeting.
Merkel's fourth and last term will end in 2021. The Chancellor has been in office since November 2005.
