The Minister of State for the Economy and Digital Transition Pedro Siza Vieira tested positive for the new coronavirus, has "some symptoms" and is in isolation, the government's office reported this Tuesday, January 19.
Pedro Siza Vieira has been in prophylactic isolation since Saturday, after having been in contact with the Minister of Finance, who is also infected with SARS-CoV-2.
According to a statement released at the time, the minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition is in prophylactic isolation, "as determined by the health authorities", since he "had contact" with the minister of Finance João Leão.
“Even though all safety standards were always safeguarded, it was considered, as a mere precautionary measure, that the minister should carry out a prophylactic isolation, despite not having been tested and not showing any symptoms”, the note continues.
The Ministry of Finance announced on Saturday that João Leão had contracted the covid-19.
The minister "is in confinement at home, having so far not shown any symptoms, and is working," concludes the statement.
On Friday, João Leão participated in working meetings with the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen and the college of commissioners, who traveled to Lisbon, under the Portuguese presidency of the European Union (EU).
On Thursday, the Government confirmed that the Minister of Labor, Ana Mendes Godinho, had tested positive for covid-19, having been in prophylactic isolation since Monday.
The ministers of Environment and Climate Action João Pedro Matos Fernandes, and of the Sea Ricardo Serrão Santos also went into prophylactic isolation on Monday, as determined by health authorities, having, however, received negative tests.
João Leão and Ana Mendes Godinho are not the first members of the Government with covid-19: in October, the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education Manuel Heitor tested positive.
In November, it was the turn of minister Nelson de Souza, head of the Planning portfolio, who received a positive test after Secretary of State for Planning Ricardo Pinheiro was diagnosed with covid-19.
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