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WORLD NEWS Thursday 26 March 2020

Britain's Prince Charles tests positive for the coronavirus

By JILL LAWLESS and 11 awards ceremony for his
DANICA KIRKA Prince's Trust charity along-
Associated Press side celebrities including
LONDON (AP) — Prince actor Pierce Brosnan and
Charles, the heir to the Brit- Ronnie Wood of the Rolling
ish throne, has tested posi- Stones.
tive for the new coronavi- Charles attended a round
rus, royal officials confirmed table meeting on March
Wednesday — touching off 10 with Monaco's Prince Al-
debate about whether his bert II, who has since tested
wealth and status gave him positive for COVID-19. The
priority in receiving a test. British royal is not believed
The 71-year-old is show- to have shaken hands
ing mild symptoms of CO- with Albert at the Water-
VID-19, the disease caused Aid Summit in London on
by the virus, and is self-iso- that day. Charles has been
lating at a royal estate in photographed doing the
Scotland, the prince's Clar- namaste gesture, with
ence House office said. His hands pressed together,
wife, Camilla, the Duch- at public events in recent
ess of Cornwall, has tested weeks, including the Com-
negative. monwealth Day Service
"The Prince of Wales has In this Monday, March 9, 2020 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla the Duchess of on March 9 at Westminster
tested positive for Corona- Cornwall, in the background, leave after attending the annual Commonwealth Day service at Abbey. The event was the
Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 9, 2020.
virus," Clarence House said. Associated Press last formal engagement of
It said he "otherwise re- Prince Harry and his wife,
mains in good health and navirus, even when they "Given that his symptoms outbreak intensified. Meghan.
has been working from didn't have a fever or other are said to be mild, like Buckingham Palace said Charles has spoken to both
home throughout the last severe tell-tale symptoms. many I wonder how he was Queen Elizabeth II, 93, re- his sons: Prince William,
few days as usual." That has fueled the percep- tested when many NHS and mains at her Windsor Castle who is second in line to the
Britain's Press Association, tion that the wealthy and social care workers cannot home west of London with throne, and Prince Harry,
citing a source, said the famous have been able to get tested,'' she said on her 98-year-old husband, who is in Canada.
prince and the 72-year-old jump to the head of the line Twitter. "My nephew, who Prince Philip. On March 3, before gov-
duchess remained in good to get tested while others has serious asthma and a "Her Majesty the queen re- ernments around the world
spirits, and that Charles was have been turned away or chest infection was recent- mains in good health,'' the started to join China in
not bedridden. met with long delays. ly refused a test.'' palace said, adding that implementing sweeping
The British government has Scientists, public health Charles and Camilla's tests the queen last saw Charles curbs on public activities to
advised people over age and frontline medical staff were carried out by the briefly at an event on counter the COVID-19 out-
70 to take social distanc- officials have urged Britain National Health Service in March 12 and "is following break, William joked about
ing measures especially to ramp up the number of Scotland. Its website says all the appropriate advice the virus during an official
seriously and warned they people being tested for the that in general people will with regard to her welfare." visit to Ireland with his wife,
may need to stay home for virus. Currently the vast ma- be tested if they "have a Philip was not with the mon- Catherine, the Duchess of
12 weeks. jority of people with mild serious illness that requires arch when she last saw Cambridge.
For most people, the new symptoms are not being admission to hospital.'' Charles, the oldest of their "I bet everyone's like, 'I've
coronavirus causes mild or tested. Scotland's Chief Medical four children. got coronavirus, I'm dying'
moderate symptoms, such The government says it test- Officer Catherine Calder- Clarence House said it and you're like, 'No, you've
as fever and cough that ed 6,491 people on Tues- wood defended the test. was "not possible to ascer- just got a cough'," he told
clear up in two to three day and hopes to increase "From the information I've tain from whom the prince emergency workers at a re-
weeks. For some, especially that to 25,000 tests a day been given it's clear he was caught the virus owing to ception hosted by Britain's
older adults and people within three weeks. tested for clinical reasons,'' the high number of en- Ambassador to Ireland in
with existing health prob- A member of the Scottish she said. "And I'm pleased gagements he carried out Dublin's Guinness Store-
lems, it can be more se- Parliament, Joan McAl- also that he is well and as in his public role during re- house. "It does seem quite
vere, causing pneumonia pine, expressed surprise with many people who cent weeks." dramatic about the coro-
and sometimes death. that Charles was tested. have had this virus he has Charles' last public en- navirus. Is it being a little
Charles is the latest high- McAlpine, a legislator with had a mild illness." gagement was March 12. hyped-up in the media?"
profile figure to reveal a Scotland's governing Scot- Charles and other se- He has also had a num- With hindsight, William may
COVID-19 diagnosis. He tish National Party wished nior royals kept up a busy ber of private meetings, regret his remarks in Ireland,
joins a growing list of ce- Charles a speedy recov- schedule of engagements and participants at those including what he said
lebrities, athletes and other ery, but wondered aloud until earlier this month, sessions have been made next: that he and his wife
famous people who been whether he had received when they cut off public aware of his condition. "are spreading the corona-
tested for the novel coro- special treatment. events as the coronavirus Charles attended a March virus" even more.q