President Bolsonaro, Tested after Symptoms, Says He Has Covid-19

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Late Update: President Jair Bolsonaro announced on Tuesday, July 7th, that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

On Monday, July 6th, he was once again tested for Covid-19. He had a lung examination on Monday afternoon, but said “all is well”. “I just came from the hospital, I had a lung x-ray’. Everything’s clean. I’m going to be tested for Covid-19 now, but everything’s fine,” he said while entering the Alvorada Palace, where the Covid-19 test was administered.

According to CNN Brasil, the president reported a 38ºC fever, as well as diarrhea and other symptoms of the disease – and is now taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has not been proven effective against Covid-19. The lung examination was performed at the Armed Forces Hospital. The result is expected on Tuesday, July 7th. Planalto Palace and hospital sources confirmed that Bolsonaro had a fever. The president is 65 years old and is part of the group at risk of the disease.

Despite admitting the suspicion, the President stopped to talk to a group waiting for him before returning to his official residence after the work day. Bolsonaro did, however, wear a mask during the conversation, and asked that people not come near him. “You can’t get too close, okay. Recommendation for everyone.”

To a supporter who asked to remove his mask for a photograph, the President first agreed, but then told the man he had not authorized it. “He took it off because he wanted to,” he said.

According to the official agenda, the President dispatched throughout the day and saw six ministers. He had meetings with Ministers Paulo Guedes of Economy, Braga Netto of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, Augusto Heleno of the Institutional Security Cabinet, Luiz Eduardo Ramos of the Government Secretariat, Jorge Oliveira of the General Secretariat and Levi Mello the Solicitor General.

The last meeting occurred at 4:40 PM with the Special Secretary of Culture, Mário Frias. At 5 PM, there was a ceremony to introduce the Contingency Plan for People with Disabilities and Rare Diseases with the Minister of Family, Women and Human Rights, Damares Alves and the first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro, but the President did not attend. He left the Planalto at 5:40 PM and headed to the hospital.

Bolsonaro had already been tested on three occasions to detect Covid-19. The first tests were run in March after the President returned from an official trip to the United States, where he met with President Donald Trump. At least 23 people in the Brazilian delegation were diagnosed with the disease after they returned.

In parallel, Todd Chapman, the current US Ambassador to Brazil, who had hosted a Fourth of July luncheon for President Bolsonaro and five cabinet ministers, announced that as a precautionary measure, he too would be tested for Covid-19

Source: O Estado de S. Paulo