Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for the novel coronavirus again, his office announced on Wednesday. They also mentioned that the president would be extending his two-week quarantine, while adding that his upcoming travel plans have also been suspended.
Since testing positive after developing a fever and fatigue, Bolsonaro has been working by video conference from the presidential residence.
Until he was infected, he was often spotted walking the streets of Brasilia without a mask, exchanging hugs and handshakes, dismissing social distancing norms that WHO had declared mandatory.
“President Jair Bolsonaro’s health continues to improve, under the treatment of the presidential medical team,. The test taken by the president yesterday, (July) 21, resulted positive” his office said in a statement.
The leader had previously termed the pandemic as “little flu” and had flouted social distancing measures. He has been in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus on July 7.
Bolsonaro has been at the center of criticism after his dismissal of the pandemic. He had even opposed lockdown, saying “With my history as an athlete, if I were infected with the virus I would have no reason to worry. I would feel nothing, or it would be at most just a little flu.”
”If it continues like this, with the amount of unemployment what we will have later is a very serious problem that will take years to be resolved,” he said of the isolation measures, adding that lockdown would break the backbone of the country’s economy.
Brazil is the second worst country hit by the pandemic, only after the United States. It has recorded nearly 2.2 million infections with more than 80,000 fatalities so far.
