Spain postpones summit while leader tests positive for COVID

MADRID (AP) — The Spanish government said a planned meeting Friday of the nine leaders of Europe’s Mediterranean countries will be postponed because Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the event’s host, continues to test positive for COVID-19.

The energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine was to have topped the agenda of the informal annual summit. The Spanish government said a new date would be set.

The leaders of France, Italy, Greece, Portugal and other countries planned to attend the meeting in Spain’s eastern coastal city of Alicante along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel.

Sánchez said Sunday he had the coronavirus but still planned to attend the summit.