Top Canadian diplomat tests positive for COVID-19

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Monday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. 

In a Twitter thread, Joly shared the result of a rapid COVID-19 test, adding she will work in isolation until the results are confirmed. 

“I have taken a rapid test and tested positive for #COVID19,” Joly wrote in a tweet. “Following public health guidelines, I am in isolation and will continue my work virtually, as I have been for a number of days, until I get the results of my PCR test.”

Joly, who was named foreign minister in October, also wrote that she is grateful for the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine, encouraging citizens to get vaccinated and boosted.

“It’s the best thing we can do to keep our families safe this holiday season and all year long,” she wrote. 

“While it is important to get tested for COVID, remember that testing alone doesn’t protect you from contracting and spreading the virus,” Joly added. “Please continue to be cautious, limit your contacts and respect public health guidelines. We will get through this together.”

I have taken a rapid test and tested positive for #COVID19. Following public health guidelines, I am in isolation and will continue my work virtually, as I have been for a number of days, until I get the results of my PCR test. 1/3

— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) December 20, 2021

Joly’s announcement comes as Quebec, Canada’s second most populous province, ordered bars, gyms and casinos to shut down and residents to work from home on Monday due to the rise of cases, according to Reuters. 

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube said Monday the province set a record of daily COVID-19 cases, with 4,500 new infections, and predicted the worst is yet to come. 

Dube also urged residents to cut down on personal contacts as Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations approach, Reuters reported. 

“Right now we are waging a war against the virus,” Dube said at a virtual news briefing. “We will have new projections from our specialists this evening and let’s be honest, they probably won’t be encouraging.”