Syrian President Assad, wife test positive for COVID-19

The president and first lady Asma are in good health and getting treated at home. The country has yet to obtain vaccines, and the UN fears cases are much higher in Syria than reported.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with his Russian counterpart at the headquarters of the Russian forces in the Syrian capital Damascus on January 7, 2020. - Putin met his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad during an unprecedented visit to Damascus as the prospect of war between Iran and the United States loomed over the region. (Photo by Alexei Druzhinin / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by ALEXEI DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with his Russian counterpart at the headquarters of the Russian forces in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Jan. 7, 2020. - ALEXEI DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and first lady Asma al-Assad have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency on Monday.

They received a PCR test after experiencing mild symptoms. The two are in good health and will stay at home for two to three weeks, the presidency said in a tweet.

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