Mexican president felt unwell before business flight, took COVID-19 test later: spokesman

MEXICO Town (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador first felt the onset of COVID-19 on Sunday and was examined just after returning to the capital on a business flight from an party in central Mexico, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

The 67-calendar year previous president mentioned on Sunday night he was infected with the coronavirus, just hrs following having the Aeromexico flight, boosting concern about the extent of probable exposures.

Spokesman Jesus Ramirez mentioned that passengers on the flight ended up getting contacted, and that journalists traveling with the president were advisable to isolate.

Lopez Obrador experienced a fever on Sunday and was even now enduring some delicate signs and symptoms by Tuesday, such as a insignificant headache, Deputy Overall health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell mentioned in an night news convention.

“The president is undertaking effectively… he does not have other indications,” Lopez-Gatell explained, introducing that Lopez Obrador was in fantastic spirits.

The pandemic is worsening in Mexico. Hospitals in the funds are near to saturation, and citizens are scrambling to find provides of medical oxygen. With a lot more than 152,000 deaths formally registered, it has the fourth-highest toll globally and fatalities are envisioned to overtake India within days.

Folks who satisfied with Lopez Obrador’s entourage for the duration of a 3 day tour at the weekend involved corporate bosses and his former chief-of-staff members, Alfonso Romo.

Lopez Obrador experienced felt chills at the close of the party in the central city of San Luis Potosi, but believed it was no far more than a cold, Ramirez informed Reuters. The indicators ended up stronger the moment he was back in Mexico Town, Ramirez said.

Ramirez informed a national radio station before in the 7 days that Lopez Obrador felt congested on Saturday whilst in the industrial metropolis of Monterrey, and took a examination there. However, he advised Reuters on Tuesday that details was incorrect.

Mexico has a tiered program that avoids required lockdowns. Authorities in Mexico Metropolis, which is in the strictest purple tier, say persons should not journey or go away household except essential, but does not prohibit these kinds of functions.

Mexican health and fitness officers reported they experienced discovered 11 people today by Tuesday who may have appear into near make contact with with the president and that local officials from the areas visited by Lopez Obrador at the weekend were being also working to determine other contacts.

Various leading officials, which includes Deputy Well being Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the general public experience of Mexico’s coronavirus method, claimed they have been self-isolating and experienced analyzed unfavorable. Other folks, including Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, also introduced they had analyzed unfavorable for the virus but are expected to choose new assessments this week.

Lopez Obrador was nevertheless functioning, Interior Minister Olga Sanchez claimed on Tuesday.

“I can explain to you he’s potent and is even intervening in some of the most critical conclusions,” she said when subbing for Lopez Obrador at a standard authorities news convention.

His ordinarily active Twitter account was quiet, sharing only a connection to the morning information conference by the afternoon.

Lopez Obrador has been keeping digital meetings, including a Monday phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the party that Lopez Obrador, who has a historical past of large blood strain and coronary heart difficulties, can’t carry out his duties while in office, the Mexican structure states that Sanchez would assume the presidency in his absence.

Congress would then vote on an interim successor within sixty times who would continue to be in business until eventually the stop of Lopez Obrador’s expression in 2024.