Bashar Al Assad and wife recover from Covid-19

Syria has struggled to control spread of the virus due to a war-hit health sector

FILE - In this July, 13, 2010 file photo, Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and his wife Asma Assad, listen to explanations as they visit a technology plant in Tunis, Tunisia. Assad’s office said Wednesday, March 17, 2021, the country's first couple are on their way to recovery nine days after they tested positive for coronavirus. The presidency said that Assad and his wife have had mild symptoms of the illness and are continuing their work as usual from home and will return to normal life once they test negative to COVID-19 (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi, File)
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Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and his wife Asma have recovered from Covid-19 and have tested negative for the disease, the country's state news agency said on Tuesday.

"After the end of the quarantine period, symptoms of Covid-19 and negative PCR results, President Bashar Al Assad and Mrs Asma Al Assad have resumed their work normally," Sana reported.

The leader and his spouse had contracted the virus and isolated accordingly.

Syria has seen a sharp rise in infections since mid-February, but has recently kicked off its vaccination campaign.

The nation has had a difficult time controlling the spread of the virus and gaining exact data on how many had contracted Covid-19.

The country's health system has been devastated by a decade of war, making it difficult to mitigate infection rates.

The Assads joined a growing list of world leaders who have tested positive for Covid-19, alongside Britain’s Boris Johnson, France’s Emmanuel Macron and former US President Donald Trump.