Vice president Pere Aragonès tests positive for covid-19

Catalan vice president and economy minister Pere Aragonès has tested positive for the coronavirus covid-19.

Jailed independence leader Josep Rull was revealed to be a possible covid-19 patient too, and is currently in isolation in Lledoners prison. 

Aragonès, the national coordinator for Esquerra Republicana, is confined at home but in good health.

On Sunday evening Aragonès tweeted the news: "Today I tested positive for covid-19. At the moment I’m in perfect health. I am confined at home, in accordance with medical instructions, from where I will continue to work. We must act with the utmost caution and responsibility."

Avui he donat positiu en la prova del COVID-19. De moment em trobo en perfecte estat de salut. Resto confinat a casa seguint les indicacions mèdiques, des d’on seguiré treballant. Cal actuar amb la màxima prevenció i responsabilitat.

— Pere Aragonès 🎗 (@perearagones) March 15, 2020

Earlier on Sunday an exceptional Catalan cabinet meeting was held via video link with President Quim Torra at government headquarters and ministers, including Aragonès, dialling in from their homes and offices. 

Torra later spoke with Spanish president Pedro Sánchez, after which the Catalan leader criticized Madrid's approach to the coronavirus outbreak.

Sunday saw four more deaths due to coronavirus in Catalonia, all of them in the quarantined area of Igualada.