'Delighted' to be Covid-19 free, PM Lee meets Indonesian President Jokowi for chicken rice

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has recovered from Covid-19 again, saying on Wednesday (June 7) he was "delighted to be finally Covid free" a week after being reinfected by the coronavirus. 

Announcing his recovery in a Facebook post, Mr Lee said that he also met up with Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his wife.

"Delighted to be finally Covid free so I could catch up with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Ibu Iriana over a chicken rice lunch today — one of the President's favourite local delights in Singapore!" Mr Lee said in his post.

Mr Joko, popularly known as Jokowi, is in town to speak at the Ecosperity Week, an annual conference on sustainable development organised by state investment firm Temasek Holdings.

Mr Lee, 71, had first tested positive for Covid-19 on May 22 after travelling overseas to countries such as South Africa and Kenya for work that month. 

He also attended the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia from May 10 to 11.

On May 28, Mr Lee said on social media that he had recovered after self-isolating and taking the anti-viral medication Paxlovid on the advice of his doctors. 

However, he tested positive again on June 1, in what is termed a Covid-19 rebound.

Mr Lee said that a Covid-19 rebound occurs in 5 to 10 per cent of Covid-19 cases and that he was still infectious, although the risk was not as high as compared with his initial infection.

Following his recovery and meeting with Mr Joko on Wednesday, Mr Lee said that he looked forward to continuing to partner Indonesia on issues related to climate change and sustainable development, and to meet Mr Joko at the Asean Summit later this year.