France: First Lady In Isolation After Virus Exposure

France's first lady has gone into isolation for seven days following her exposure to a person who tested positive for COVID-19, her office announced on Monday.

Brigitte Macron, 67, will self-quarantine at the Elysee Palace on Monday, Oct. 19 after being "in contact on Thursday, Oct. 15 with a person declared positive for COVID-19 who presented symptoms of the disease," said a statement by her office.

She has exhibited no symptoms of the virus such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, it added.

The announcement came as France reported 13,243 new cases of the virus, the highest number yet since the end of the lockdown in late May. The total number of infections to date is 910,277, according to France's Health Ministry.

Fatalities have risen substantially, up by 146 over the past 24 hours, with 33,623 total deaths to date. A total of 7,978 people remain hospitalized, with 1,441 of those patients in intensive care – a statistic that stands out for trending downward. -