La Paz, July 10 Bolivia's Interim President Jeanine Anez announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be in quarantine.
"Along with my entire team, we have been working for Bolivian families during this whole time and, given that in the past week many of them tested positive for the coronavirus, I took the test and I also came out positive," Anez, who took office after the controversial ouster of Bolivia's first Indigenous President Evo Morales last November, said on Thursday in an online video.
"I feel very good, strong. I am going to continue to work remotely, from isolation," Anez said, adding that she will remain in isolation for 14 days before taking another test.
In recent days, three ministers in her cabinet have also tested positive for COVID-19 Minister of the Presidency of the Interim-Government Yerko Nunez, Health Minister Eidy Roca and Mining Minister Fernando Oropeza.
Some deputy ministers and other officials were also infected with the virus.
Bolivia has so far reported a total of 44,113 COVID-19 cases, with 1,638 deaths.
Anez is the second South American leader to be infected with COVID-19 this week, after the coronavirus-sceptic Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive on Tuesday.
( With inputs from IANS )