Mexican president latest of world leaders positive for Covid-19

MEXICO CITY – Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Sunday that he was infected with the coronavirus, but said his symptoms are mild and he feels optimistic.

“I regret to inform you that I am infected with Covid-19. The symptoms are mild but I am already undergoing medical treatment,” the 67-year-old said in a message on social media.

“As always, I am optimistic,” added the left-wing populist, who is rarely seen wearing a mask in public 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 Potosi.

He was criticised 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.

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.

Maximum alert

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% of hospital beds full due to soaring infections. Non-essential activities have been suspended in the capital.

Lopez Obrador came to power on December 1, 2018, promising to “transform” the country after sweeping aside the two political parties that had ruled for decades.

The former Mexico City mayor and self-styled anti-corruption crusader has faced calls to resign over his handling of the pandemic, but still enjoys solid approval ratings.

The Latin American nation began a mass immunisation programme on December 24 using the coronavirus vaccine developed by US drugs giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

It has also authorised the shot developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

The first vaccinations were given to front-line health workers, and Lopez Obrador said that he would wait until March, when people over the age of 65 are scheduled to be immunised, to get the shot himself. – AFP, January 25, 2021