EU commissioner Mariya Gabriel tests positive for COVID-19

EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, she announced through a Twitter post on Saturday.

Gabriel has become the first top official of Brussels to test positive for COVID-19. She is theEU commissioner for research and innovation, and represents Bulgaria at the 27-member EU executive.

"After a first negative #COVID19 test on Monday, my second one is positive," said Gabriel.

She also assured people that she had been in self-quarantine from Monday and will continue to stay at home in isolation till she recovers fully from the virus.

Medical experts are assuming she got infected as she was currently stationed in the EU commission's headquarters in Brussels, which is currently one of the worst hit cities in Europe by the virus.

Gabriel's announcement came after the commission's president Ursula von der Leyen also quarantined herself on Monday after someone in her surrounding tested positive for the virus. Later, she tested negative twice.

Last month the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, was forced to postpone a European leaders' summit for a week after a security guard in his team tested positive.