President of Portugal in self-isolation after advisor tests positive for the Coronavirus

  • ECO News
  • 6 January 2021

The President of Portugal is in self-isolation after his advisor, Paulo Magalhães, tested positive to the Coronavirus.

The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is in prophylactic isolation after having been in contact with an infected member of Casa Civil, the Presidency informed.

“The President of the Republic, who had contact last Monday with a member of Casa Civil, whose positive result to SARS-CoV-2 was known this morning, is in preventive prophylactic isolation, awaiting the steps of the health authorities, which are conducting the risk analysis,” said Rebelo de Sousa’s office in a statement.

Source from Belém Palace, quoted by the Lusa Agency, Marcelo’s contact with this element of Casa Civil was “very brief, very short, with a mask, to give indications on certain internal issues”. According to SIC Notícias, the person infected is his advisor, Paulo Magalhães.

The President’s self-isolation – normally a 14-day quarantine – is happening during his presidential campaign, whose elections are scheduled for January 24.