Coronavirus: German Chancellor Merkel leaves quarantine

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has left self-imposed quarantine after testing negative for the novel coronavirus multiple times, her spokesman said on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Steffen Seibert said Merkel ended her two-week self-quarantine, in line with the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute, the country's disease control agency.

"The chancellor is returning to work today in the Federal Chancellory," Seibert said, adding that she would continue to use video conferencing for most planned meetings with local and national officials, as well as international counterparts.

Merkel tested negative on Monday on her third coronavirus test, as her two previous tests also came back negative.

The 65-year-old politician entered self-quarantine on March 22, two days after a doctor who gave her a precautionary vaccine tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Germany is the third-worst-affected country by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe after Italy and Spain.

According to the most recent statistics by local authorities, Germany's death toll increased to 1,111 on Friday, while the total number of cases surpassed 85,000.