The Chilean Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno, became on Monday the first member of President Sebastián Piñera's cabinet to catch the coronavirus, amid the worrying increase in cases and deaths caused by the pandemic in the country.
"I have been notified that the COVID-19 test that I had done a few days ago was positive, fortunately I have had no symptoms so far," Moreno announced on his Twitter account.
The 63-year-old minister had reported on Friday that, after taking the test, he decided to initiate preventive isolation after learning that one of his collaborators had tested positive for Covid-19.
The announcement comes on the same day that Chile registered a record of infections, with 4,895 new infections and 43 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 73,997 infections and 761 deaths since the first case reported on March 3.
Meanwhile, the Minister of National Assets, Julio Isamit, remains in preventive isolation due to contact with an infected person, despite having negative the COVID-19 test. The finance ministers, Ignacio Briones, and the economy ministers, Lucas Palacios, who had been exposed to infections in their surroundings, also tested negative and already returned to their duties after being in confinement.
Last week the contagions of three senators who are isolated were confirmed, and whose cases led to the closure of the Senate and the organization of the sessions by videoconference.
The increase in cases has set off alarms in Chilean hospitals, which have taken 85% of their beds to serve infected patients in intensive care units.
Santiago remains the main focus of the pandemic in Chile, with 90% of cases across the country. The Chilean capital lives a total quarantine for the second week, while in three other regions - Tarapacá and Antofagasta (north), and La Araucanía (south) - the confinements are selective.
The 63-year-old minister had reported on Friday that, after taking the test, he decided to initiate preventive isolation after learning that one of his collaborators had tested positive for Covid-19.
The announcement comes on the same day that Chile registered a record of infections, with 4,895 new infections and 43 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 73,997 infections and 761 deaths since the first case reported on March 3.
Meanwhile, the Minister of National Assets, Julio Isamit, remains in preventive isolation due to contact with an infected person, despite having negative the COVID-19 test. The finance ministers, Ignacio Briones, and the economy ministers, Lucas Palacios, who had been exposed to infections in their surroundings, also tested negative and already returned to their duties after being in confinement.
Last week the contagions of three senators who are isolated were confirmed, and whose cases led to the closure of the Senate and the organization of the sessions by videoconference.
The increase in cases has set off alarms in Chilean hospitals, which have taken 85% of their beds to serve infected patients in intensive care units.
Santiago remains the main focus of the pandemic in Chile, with 90% of cases across the country. The Chilean capital lives a total quarantine for the second week, while in three other regions - Tarapacá and Antofagasta (north), and La Araucanía (south) - the confinements are selective.