By Staff, Agencies

Personal lawyer of US President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, the outgoing president announced Sunday.

"Giuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election [by far!] in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus," Trump tweeted.

"Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!" he added.

According to reports in the US media, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor was hospitalized on Sunday in Washington.

Just hours before Trump's post, Giuliani gave an interview to Fox News -- and did not appear to display any coronavirus symptoms throughout it.

Giuliani's diagnosis comes after he had been crisscrossing the country, leading the president's legal efforts to challenge the outcome of the November 3 presidential election.

Trump's legal team said in a statement that Giuliani tested negative twice before his most recent trip and "did not experience any symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 until more than 48 hours after his return."

Other members of the legal team will follow their doctors' orders and CDC guidelines on self-isolation and testing, the statement said.