Mexico’s leader says in video he’s recovering from COVID-19
ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2020
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gives his daily, morning news conference at the presidential palace, Palacio Nacional, in Mexico City. Obrador says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under medical treatment, Sunday, Jan. 24.
MEXICO CITY >> Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted a video of himself walking slowly through his offices Friday and talking for about 13 minutes straight, saying he is recovering from COVID-19.
López Obrador has not been holding his famous, hours-long daily press conferences for the first time since he took office on Dec. 1, 2018, and he evidently misses the opportunity to talk.
The president, who has been in isolation since testing positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, said: “The doctors tell me I am getting through the critical stage. I am doing well.”
He has been receiving treatment at his apartment in the colonial-era National Palace, where he also has offices.
López Obrador said that Mexico will import the AstraZeneca vaccine from India and said that the government expects China’s CanSino vaccine to submit test results soon.
Along with Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, he said, Mexico expects to have 6 million doses of various vaccines by the end of February and 12 million in March.
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He said that could allow all elderly people in Mexico to get at least one shot. So far, Mexico has been using only the Pfizer vaccine and has been administering second doses as scheduled.
However, Mexico has only about 760,000 Pfizer doses, about half the amount it needs just to vaccinate front-line health personnel.
The country reported 1,434 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths Friday, bringing its total for the pandemic to 156,579. However, Mexico has an extremely low rate of testing, and estimates of excess deaths suggest the real toll to date is over 195,000.
The country also recorded 18,670 newly confirmed coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 1.84 million.
The recent surge in cases lost Mexico its only state that was considered in the low risk category, with the federal Health Department revealing that Campeche was once again in the moderate risk category.
The Gulf coast state had previously scheduled a reopening of schools because it was at the lowest risk category, with low levels of infection and hospitalizations. It was unclear whether its change in status would have any effect on the school plans.
