Mexico's president tests positive for COVID-19

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday (Jan 24) he has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the symptoms are mild.

Mexico's president, who has been criticised for his handling of his country's pandemic, said on his official Twitter account that he is under medical treatment.

"I regret to inform you that I am infected with COVID-19," he tweeted. "The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward."

Lopez Obrador, 67, has long been criticised for not setting an example of prevention in public. He has rarely been seen wearing a mask and continued to keep up a busy travel schedule taking commercial flights.

He has resisted locking down the economy, noting the devastating effect it would have on so many Mexicans who live day to day.

READ: COVID-19 - Mexico plans to administer 7.4 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine by end-March

Early in the pandemic, asked how he was protecting Mexico, Lopez Obrador removed two religious amulets from his wallet and proudly showed them off.

"The protective shield is the 'Get thee behind me, Satan,'" Lopez Obrador said, reading off the inscription on the amulet, "Stop, enemy, for the Heart of Jesus is with me."

His announcement came shortly after news emerged that he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday about obtaining doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.

Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said via Twitter the two leaders would speak about the bilateral relationship and supplying doses of the vaccine.

The vaccine has not been approved for use in Mexico, but the government is desperate to fill supply gaps for the Pfizer vaccine. Mexico has given more than 618,000 vaccine doses.

READ: Mexican doctor hospitalised after receiving COVID-19 vaccine

Mexico has registered nearly 150,000 COVID-19 deaths and more than 1.7 million infections.

Hospitals are overwhelmed by the surge in cases. The real number of infected people and deaths is likely significantly higher than the official count, the health ministry has said.

Lopez Obrador said on Twitter that his interior minister would run his regular morning news conference in his absence.

"Fortunately, the president is stable at the moment, the symptoms are mild," said Jose Luis Alomia Zegarra, a Mexican health official, during a regular news conference held shortly after Obrador announced his diagnosis. "A team of medical specialists is attending to the health of the president."

Obrador has maintained a busy public schedule during the pandemic and has said he enjoys good health, despite suffering a serious heart attack at the age of 60 in 2013.

He said he would still hold the scheduled call with Putin on Monday and keep an eye on public affairs while receiving treatment.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram