Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus, but only exhibiting mild symptoms.
The South American country’s President, who has been widely criticized for his handling of his country’s pandemic and for not setting an example of prevention in public, said his symptoms are mild and he his currently undergoing treatment.
Obrador tweeted in Spanish;
I regret to inform you that I am infected with COVID-19. The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward.
The President added that he would continue his duties from the Presidential Palace, which include conducting a planned phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the topic of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine today, January 25.
Obrador also disclosed that Secretary of Interior, Dr. Olga Sanchez Cordero will represent him at the daily morning briefings.
The President is rarely seen wearing a mask in public, including at his daily news conferences, and has kept up most of his activities during the pandemic.
Lopez Obrador has continued his travels to different parts of the country and on Friday visited the northern state of San Luis Potosí.
He was criticized for being slow to impose a lockdown at the start of the pandemic and for continuing to hold rallies and greet supporters with handshakes and hugs.
Lopez Obrador suffered a heart attack in 2013 and underwent angioplasty. He also suffers from hypertension — a risk factor for COVID-19.
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He joins other world leaders, including former US president Donald Trump, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and British prime minister Boris Johnson, who have caught the virus.
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Mexico has officially registered more than 1.75 million coronavirus cases and nearly 150,000 deaths — the world’s fourth-highest toll after the United States, Brazil and India.
Mexico City has been in a state of maximum alert since mid-December, with more than 90 percent of hospital beds full due to soaring infections. Non-essential activities have been suspended in the capital.
Newly confirmed deaths and cases have risen steadily throughout the country since early October, with recent daily numbers some of the highest since the beginning the pandemic.
No one is spared from the sting of COVID-19. Y’ll should try and stay safe, and observe all safety measure. It’s the only way to stay alive.