Brazil President Bolsonaro Tests Positive For COVID-19, Again

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has again tested positive for COVID-19. The secretariat of Brazil’s Communication Ministry confirmed the news Wednesday, stating that the test was carried out on July 21. This was two weeks after the nationalist leader tested positive for the novel coronavirus on July 7 after becoming ill.

“The test carried out on the president yesterday, on the 21st, showed a positive result,” the Ministry’s statement said. “President Bolsonaro is still in good condition, accompanied by the presidency’s medical team.”

Bolsonaro, 65, became only the second major world leader to test positive for the infectious disease, after Britain’s Boris Johnson. The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also tested positive for COVID-19.

Bolsonaro has also been notable for his early dismissal and widely criticized handling of the outbreak in Brazil. Similar to U.S. President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro brushed off the potential severity of the novel coronavirus, calling it a “little flu.” He later went on to protest local shutdowns and call media coverage of the pandemic “hysteria.”

“I'm sorry,” Bolsonaro said in April, when Brazil’s death toll passed 5,000. “But what do you want me to do about it?”

Also similar to the U.S., this dismissive attitude is believed to have made Brazil one of the global hotspots for COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins University, Brazil has seen over 2.1 million coronavirus cases and over 81,000 deaths as of Wednesday morning.

Despite his health condition, Bolsonaro has not implemented new nationwide restrictions. Last week, he shot down a measure that would require face masks in school, churches and other indoor facilities.