Syria’s Assad and his wife Asma test positive for new coronavirus

FILE PHOTO: Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma cast their vote inside a polling station during the parliamentary elections in Damascus, Syria in this handout released by SANA on July 19, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE/File Photo

DUBAI —Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes respiratory ailment COVID-19, after showing minor symptoms, his office said Monday.

The Syrian leader and his spouse, who announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, were both in good health and would keep working while in isolation at home, the statement said.

Syria has seen a sharp rise in infections since mid-February, a member of the country’s coronavirus advisory committee told Reuters last week.

The health ministry started vaccinating frontline healthcare workers a week ago and said there had been a surge in COVID-19 cases without elaborating.

After a decade of war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted millions, Assad’s military has reclaimed most of the country with Russia and Iran’s help.