ANKARA 

Colombia's First Lady Maria Juliana Ruiz has tested positive for coronavirus, the president's office said.

She was diagnosed on Monday during a regular virus test for President Ivan Duque and her.

“At this time, she is asymptomatic and following the isolation protocols established by the Ministry of Health,” the statement said late Tuesday, adding that the president tested negative.

Both Duque and Ruiz have been tested periodically "given the high level of exposure and interaction that they maintain," the press release said.

This is the third COVID-19 case in the presidential palace, Casa de Nariño, in recent weeks. Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez and director of the presidency's administrative department Diego Molano also contracted the novel virus.

The South American country has more than 1.2 million confirmed cases and over 35,600 virus-related deaths, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.1 million people have recovered from the disease.