German finance minister tests positive for Covid during US trip

WASHINGTON: APRIL. 21 – Germany’s finance minister tested positive for Covid-19 Wednesday while in the US capital Washington for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, a ministry official said.

Christian Lindner participated in a G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank presidents as well as a G7 meeting before receiving the positive result, the official said. Germany currently holds the G7 presidency.

“The minister is okay. He has only mild symptoms,” the ministry official added.

It was unclear whether Lindner would return to Berlin on Thursday as planned.

Tests before his flight from Berlin to Washington on Tuesday and in Washington Wednesday were negative, before he tested positive in the evening, according to the ministry.

-AFP