Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 67, said on Sunday (24) that he had been infected with Covid-19, that his symptoms were mild and that he was feeling optimistic.
In a brief post on his official Facebook account, the president also said he was undergoing medical treatment.
He does not wear a mask in public places and has only been seen on air travel.
López Obrador, who continued most of his activities during the pandemic, has appointed Home Secretary Olga Sánchez to replace him during his press conferences this week.
“I will be aware of the public affairs of the National Palace. For example, tomorrow I will participate in a liaison with President Vladimir Poutine,” he added.
The representative has been criticized for his way of dealing with the pandemic, with a strategy focused on increasing the capacity of the hospital instead of testing and tracking contacts. The country has avoided mandatory lockdowns, opting for a system of layered restrictions to limit the impact on the economy.
The Department of Health on Sunday reported 10,872 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 530 deaths, bringing the total to 1,763,219 infections and 149,614 deaths, the fourth highest number of deaths worldwide.
The leftist president organized three public activities over the weekend, the last of them on Friday morning (22), in the state of San Luis Potosí, in the north of the country.
He had heart problems which forced him to be admitted to a private hospital in 2013; in addition, he suffers from hypertension.
Other world leaders have contracted Covid-19, such as now former US President Donald Trump, President Jair Bolsonaro and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.