S’pore PM Lee Covid-19 free after ‘rebound’; catches up with Indonesian President Jokowi

He said in a Facebook post that he was finally free of the virus and was able to catch up with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife, Ibu Iriana, over a lunch of chicken rice.

Gabrielle Chan

Gabrielle Chan

The Straits Times

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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) caught up with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife, Ibu Iriana, over lunch on Wednesday. PHOTO: LEE HSIEN LOONG/FACEBOOK

June 8, 2023

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has recovered from Covid-19 after testing positive twice over the last three weeks.

He said in a Facebook post on Wednesday night that he was finally free of the virus and was able to catch up with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife, Ibu Iriana, over a lunch of chicken rice.

Mr Widodo was in town to speak at the Ecosperity Conference, an annual event on sustainable development organised by Temasek.

In a Facebook post of his own, Mr Widodo thanked PM Lee and his wife, Mrs Lee, for the meal at the Istana, and for the warm conversation they shared.

PM Lee, 71, tested positive for Covid-19 for the first time on May 22.

He recovered on May 28 before contracting Covid-19 for a second time on June 1, sharing that his doctors said he had a case of “post-Covid rebound, which happens in 5 to 10 per cent of cases”.

He first tested positive for Covid-19 following a recent string of work trips, which included visits to South Africa and Kenya.

He was in Cape Town from May 14 to 16 and in Nairobi from May 17 to 19. He had also travelled to Labuan Bajo in Indonesia for the 42nd Asean Summit from May 9 to 11.

PM Lee’s doctors prescribed anti-viral medication Paxlovid because of his age and advised him to self-isolate until he was asymptomatic.

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