Peru’s former president, Martin Vizcarra, tests positive for COVID six months after he said he had been vaccinated against it.
Mr. Vizcarra affirmed the positive test just days after being banned from the public office. It was for the allegedly jumped the queue to receive the vaccine.
He one of the dozens of public officials deranged in the “vaccinegate” rumor.
Mr. Vizcarra said he was an enlistee in the trial, but the university hosting it said he requested to be vaccinated.
Only 2.5 percent of Peruvians have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine so far. Additionally, the country is going through the second wave of the virus. Hence, there is a surge in COVID cases, and death tolls are rising rapidly in recent weeks.
The former president’s reign was from March 2018 to November 2020. He posted on Twitter in Spanish that he and his wife have tested positive for COVID and are symptomatic.
He added that despite taking preventive measures to avoid the virus.
Vaccines are widely regarded as the most potent weapon to combat the pandemic. But no jab guarantees a 100 percent protection against the virus. Moreover, there are chances that one might catch the virus or pass it on even after taking the jab.
Local media has criticized Mr. Vizcarra for hugging people while in his campaign ahead of elections. In the campaign, he is running for a seat in Peru’s Congress.
Mr. Vizcarra won the seat even after being defiled by the vaccinegate scandal in the 11th of April election. However, only days later, the outgoing Congress found him guilty of influence peddling, conspiracy, and making false claims. There the Congress banned him from public offices for ten years straight.
High profile withdrawals
The vaccinegate scandal broke in February. Additionally, with Mr. Vizcarra, hundred other public officials and civil servants have been accused.
Mr. Vizcarra said that he and his wife had taken a vaccination jab while volunteering in a clinical trial.
The vaccinegate scandal has led to the resignation of Peru’s both foreign and health ministers. Congress impeached Mr. Vizcarra in November, but his removal from the office was not related to vaccinegate. Instead, it was due to his separate corruption allegations.
