For the second time, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Monday evening that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Despite experiencing mild symptoms, the president indicated in a tweet that he will remain in isolation and will conduct office work and interact online until he recovers, Washington Post reported.

AMLO Says Omicron is 'Not Very Damaging'

Lopez Obrador also suggested that he had the Omicron variant, saying that this new variant of COVID isn't very damaging.

An increase in coronavirus cases in Mexico coincided with the president's re-infection, which appears to be linked to the highly contagious Omicron variant's spreading. Although there has been no increase in new hospitalizations or deaths to date, many Mexicans have expressed fear and uneasiness.

For the time being, the president will be replaced by Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez during his regular morning press conferences and other official acts.

Lopez Obrador looked noticeably unwell and spoke to reporters without a mask at a Monday morning news conference before admitting he had tested positive. López Obrador, better known by his initials, AMLO, said he "woke up hoarse" in response to a reporter's query about his apparent symptoms.

ALSO READ: Moderna Donates Vaccines to Mexico as COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise

Media Outraged After Mexican President Appeared Maskless While Having Symptoms

AMLO'S choice to go out in public without a face mask while displaying symptoms of illness sparked outrage in Mexico's media.

If you have flu-like symptoms, do not do an AMLO and self-isolate, according to a headline in the El Financiero newspaper.

Members of the Mexican press expressed their dissatisfaction with the possibility of being quarantined as a result of the president's actions.

In January 2021, López Obrador tested positive for the first time and stated that he had just light symptoms. Following the positive test last year, Aeroméxico quarantined its staff who had been traveling by the president, who takes pride in flying in economy rather than in a presidential plane.

The populist and leftist leader has been criticized for not wearing a mask when meeting and taking photographs with followers across the country. He had previously stated that the virus might be warded off using religious amulets during the epidemic.

When López Obrador was present, many government personnel who would ordinarily wear masks took them off. Political analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor speculated at the time of the president's positive test, "perhaps as a really screwed-up symbol of discipline or deference."

AMLO's Administration has always opposed mass testing, calling it a waste of money. Employers should not be required to take COVID tests, he said.

Mexico is also one of the few countries that have avoided imposing lockdowns, airline bans, or obligatory face masks.

Last Monday, Mexico recorded 300,000 test-confirmed coronavirus deaths, but a government review of death certificates puts the real toll at almost 460,000, owing to the lack of testing. 

READ MORE: California Allows Hospitals to Force COVID-Positive Asymptomatic Staff to Work to Address Staff Shortage

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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