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Austrian Diplomat Visiting Iran Tested Negative For Coronavirus, Envoy Says


A member of the Austrian delegation headed by FM Alexander Schallenberg suspected of contracting coronavirus during visit to Iran on February 22 has been cleared by tests. FILE PHOTO
A member of the Austrian delegation headed by FM Alexander Schallenberg suspected of contracting coronavirus during visit to Iran on February 22 has been cleared by tests. FILE PHOTO

In a Twitter post on Friday the Austrian ambassador to Tehran said a member of the delegation of Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg who visited Tehran last week and was suspected of COVID-19 (coronavirus) infection has tested negative.

Austria's Kourier on Thursday reported that a member of Schallenberg's delegation which arrived in Tehran on February 22 to hold talks with Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif had contracted coronavirus infection while in Iran and had to be quarantined at a Vienna hospital.

In his tweet Stefan Scholz said "appropriate measures, as determined by the government, have been taken" and the delegation member's coronavirus test has proved negative.

According to Austria's Kurier, the unnamed member of the delegation had all the symptoms of coronavirus infection and was quarantined at a Vienna hospital on Thursday.

During his visit to Tehran, the Austrian Foreign Minister and his Iranian counterpart conferred about a number of issues including non-proliferation, regional issues and coronavirus outbreak.

At least six members of the Iranian Parliament have tested positive for the virus as well as Vice-President in Women's Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar and several health officials.

At least 13 countries including Canada, Britain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Lituania have reported cases of coronavirus infection in people arriving from Iran.

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