German Chancellor Angela Merkel in self quarantine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has entered into quarantine after she came into contact with a doctor who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert announced that Merkel made the decision to self-quarantine two days after the doctor who administered to her a precautionary vaccine Friday against pneumococcal infection, according to the Associated Press . He reportedly said she would work from home while undergoing “regular” tests.

“Even from domestic quarantine, the Chancellor will continue her official business”, Seibert said, according to German outlet DW.

The announcement came just after Merkel announced sweeping new restrictions for the country to address the coronavirus outbreak, including a ban on gatherings of two or more people .

As of March 22, Germany had 23,921 identified cases and 92 deaths, a rise similar to the country’s European neighbors after the virus spread quickly to nearby countries like Italy, the most-affected country outside China with more than 53,500 cases and over 4,800 deaths.