Johnson, Netanyahu, Merkel, Putin, others extend ‘best wishes’ to Trump, Melanie

World leaders, on Friday, wished United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump a speedy recovery after they tested positive for COVID-19.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson,  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel were among world leaders wishing Trump and his wife quit recovery.
Johnson extends his “best wishes” to Trump and Melania after the two announce they have tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus,” tweeted the prime minister, who survived a bout with Covid-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus, earlier this year.
Along with the world leaders, Netanyahu also wished the U.S. president and his wife a quick recovery after they had contracted the infection.
“Like millions of Israelis, Sara and I are thinking of Trump and Melania and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery,” Netanyahu said, as quoted by his office.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Finance Minister Israel Katz and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein joined the prime minister’s wishes.
Israel and the U.S. have enjoyed good relations since Trump came into office in 2016, with the two leaders reported to be close.
Similarly, Merkel wishes Trump and his wife Melania a full recovery from the coronavirus.
“I send Donald and Melania Trump all my good wishes. I hope that they recover well from their coronavirus infection and are soon fully healthy again,” Merkel says via her spokesman on Twitter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed “sincere support” to Trump.
 
Putin wished Trump and his wife a “speedy recovery and expressed sincere support at this difficult moment,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.
 
In his message to Trump, Putin said: “I am sure that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with the dangerous virus,” according to the Kremlin statement.
 
Also, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wishes a speedy recovery from the coronavirus for Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
“I sincerely hope that they will overcome the quarantine period without problems and regain their health as soon as possible,” Erdogan writes on Twitter.
Similarly, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wished Trump and his wife a “full and speedy” recovery after Trump’s announcement that they tested positive for COVID-19.
In a Facebook post, al-Sisi also wished the couple “to overcome that period swiftly to resume the U.S. efforts to combat the virus at the international level.”
Trump said early Friday that he and his wife Melania have tested positive for COVID-19 after a close aide had contracted the virus.
Melania tweeted she and her husband are quarantining at home “as too many Americans have done this year.”
“We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements,” she said. “Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.”
In a memo, White House physician Sean Conley said he received confirmation on Thursday evening that the couple had tested positive for the virus.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” Conley continued.
“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments,” the physician added.
Hicks had traveled with the president multiple times this week, including on board Marine One, the presidential helicopter, for a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, as well as on Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for COVID-19.
Terrible!” Trump said in a Tweet late Thursday night.
Trump said he and the first lady had spent “a lot of time” with Hicks, while acknowledging that it was difficult for him and those close to him to avoid the virus.
Many people, including members of the military, interact with them on a regular basis.
“It’s very hard when you’re with soldiers, when you are with airmen, when you’re with the Marines, and the police officers, I’m with them so much.
And when they come over to you, it’s hard to say, ‘stay back, stay back.’ You know, it’s a tough kind of a situation, it’s a terrible thing,” he said.
The White House regularly tests Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for COVID-19 and administers tests to those who come in close contact with them, including members of the press and other White House guests.
In addition to Hicks, multiple White House officials, including Trump’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien and other staffers have previously tested positive for COVID-19.
Pence tweeted early Friday morning that he and his wife send their love and prayers to Trump and Melania.
 
“We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery,” the vice president added.
There have been more than 7.2 million COVID-19 infections in the U.S. as of early Friday, with 207,808 deaths.
Trump, who minimised the threat of the coronavirus pandemic for months, said on Friday that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19 and were going into quarantine, upending the race for the White House.
“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” the president said in a tweet.
Trump’s positive test means that others at the highest levels of the U.S. government may have been exposed and have to quarantine, too.
A White House official said contact tracing was under way.
Trump’s physician, Sean Conley, said he expected the president to carry out his duties “without disruption” while he recovers.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” Conley wrote in a memo that was distributed to the press.
On Thursday night, shortly after the president said the pandemic’s end was in sight, news broke that Hope Hicks, a top adviser and trusted aide, had tested positive for the virus.
Hicks travelled with the president on Air Force One on Tuesday and Wednesday.