By Canadian Press

Deputy minister of foreign affairs tests positive for COVID-19

Apr 7, 2020 | 7:20 PM

OTTAWA — Canada’s deputy minister of foreign affairs has tested positive for COVID-19.

Marta Morgan has been the top official in the department for just under a year, after leading the Immigration Department, and is the first woman to hold the job.

Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne shared the diagnosis on Twitter.

He wished Morgan a full and speedy recovery and called her an invaluable part of the foreign-affairs team.

Several ministers and MPs have isolated themselves out of concern that they have the respiratory illness but Morgan is the most senior Canadian government figure to test positive.

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Champagne himself was tested for COVID-19 when he fell ill in March, following a tour of Latvia, Ukraine and Poland, but the results came back negative.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press