French Health Minister Olivier Véran tests positive for Covid

French Health Minister Olivier Véran leaves the first weekly cabinet meeting of the year at the Elysée Palace in Paris, France, on 5 January, 2022. REUTERS - SARAH MEYSSONNIER

Health Minister Olivier Véran is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid, as France registers the highest-ever number of newly registered cases.

A spokesperson of France's Health Ministry told AFP that Véran showed "light symptoms," adding that he had been vaccinated three times.

"He will go into isolation and continue to work from his private quarters in the ministry."

"I've tested positive for Covid," Véran tweeted. "As a result, I have self-isolated and continue working from a distance."

Véran has contracted the virus at the time health statistics showed the highest single-day tally of the pandemic.

On 21 December, 72,800 new cases were reported, but numbers exploded over the last few weeks as the Omicron variant took hold, resulting in 368,000 cases on 11 January, and only slightly less – 361,000 cases – on 12 January.

According to the website Covidtracker.fr, more that 87 percent of new Covid-19 in France cases are now caused by the Omicron variant. © Screengrab Covidtracker

Meanwhile some three-quarters of teachers in France were striking Thursday to vent their anger over the government's shifting rules on Covid testing for pupils.

This comes amid growing frustration over what unions say is a lack of support and unmanageable logistics in the face of Omicron infections.

(With AFP)