Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, reported AFP. According to him, his symptoms are mild and he feels optimistic.

Obrador said, “I regret to inform you that I am infected with COVID-19. The symptoms are mild but I am already undergoing medical treatment.”

Obrador, who is rarely seen wearing a mask in public and has kept up most of his activities during the pandemic, said, “As always, I am optimistic.”

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According to Obrador, he would continue to work from the presidential palace and asked the interior ministry to represent him this week at his daily news conference.

A history of heart problems had previously required him to be admitted to a private hospital in 2013, while he has also suffered from hypertension. 

As a world leader, Obrador joins the likes of former US president Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who have caught the deadly virus.

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, and non-essential activities have been suspended in the capital.