WASHINGTON, March 19 (CNN) - David Beasley, head of the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), has Covid-19, according to a statement released on Thursday.

Beasley said in a written statement that he is now working with his WFP team to trace back anyone he may have been in close contact with during the time he was unaware of the infection.

"We have already started the process of reaching out to alert each and every one of them so that they are made aware that there is a risk that they too may be infected with the virus," Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina, said in the statement.

Beasley aded: "I began feeling unwell this past weekend after returning to my home in the United States from an official visit to Canada and I took an early decision to go into self-quarantine, five days ago. So far, my symptoms have been relatively light, and I am in good spirits. I am lucky to be close to my family and I have access to excellent medical support."