MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine president and several ministers under preventive isolation after an official tested Covid-19 positive

Fernandez and his ministers had met with Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency, Gustavo Béliz, who tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.

The president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and several of his ministers began preventative isolation after coming in close contact with an official infected with coronavirus, the government said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Fernández tested negative for COVID-19 but will nonetheless remain in isolation at the Olivos presidential residence, the statement said. His foreign and interior ministers, as well as the Minister of Women, Gender and Diversity are still awaiting the results of their respective tests.

The president and his ministers had met with Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency, Gustavo Béliz, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier on Wednesday, the statement said.

However the Argentine media is showing a video of Fernandez and his ministers sharing a long meal and chat with Bolivian ex president Evo Morales and his delegation on Sunday night, the majority of which had no face masks or were respectful of social distancing. On Monday Morales returned to Bolivia after almost a year exiled in Argentina.

Media also emphasize that Fernandez is in the vulnerable over sixty population group, plus the fact he has diabetes, is overweight and is medicated for thrombophilia (risk of blood clots).

Anyhow he has tweeted he's feeling fine and the diagnosis was confirmed by his medical teasm

Argentina is among the countries hardest hit by COVID-19. It has logged 1.27 million cases of the disease and 34,531 deaths.

The country's daily infection rate has started to slow in recent weeks, indicating the crisis may have passed its peak.