Coronavirus Update: Bolsonaro Denies Reports He Tested Positive Of COVID-19 After Trump Meeting

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reportedly tested positive of the novel coronavirus days after his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, major local newspaper O Dia reported on Friday. However, his official Twitter and Facebook pages say otherwise.

Bolsonaro tweeted on Friday after reports emerged about his alleged positive COVID-19 test results that he tested negative of the fast-spreading disease. There has been much interest in his test results due to his time spent with Trump, along with one of his associates who contracted the disease.

Multiple outlets previously reported that Bolsonaro went through COVID-19 testing and was put under medical monitoring following the confirmation that his press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, contracted the disease.

Wajngarten was with Bolsonaro when they met with Trump at the latter’s Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. While the Brazilian communications chief was photographed with the American president, Bolsonaro sat beside Trump during the meeting.

Furthermore, Bolsonaro was seen shaking Trump’s hand before they had dinner on Saturday evening. Trump told reporters that he did spend some time with his Brazilian counterpart but he insisted that they didn’t interact much.

On Thursday, a source close to Trump revealed that he has reportedly been telling associates about his concerns on the interactions he had with people who have since tested positive of the novel virus.

Speaking with CNN, the source who spoke on condition of anonymity said revealed that Trump was actually concerned about his contact with Wajngarten. However, Trump has been saying in public that he is not concerned about the interactions he had with COVID-19-infected people.

Aside from Trump, U.S. vice president Mike Pence also met with Bolsonaro and Wajngarten over the weekend. However, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that the two American leaders don’t need to get tested for the coronavirus.

Grisham said Trump and Pence both did not have interactions with Wajngarten, contrary to the photos that have since emerged from the Mar-a-Lago meeting.

Shortly after news of Bolsonaro’s alleged positive COVID-19 test emerged, the Brazilian president’s son, Eduardo, reportedly told FOX News that his father will undergo testing for the second time to confirm the diagnosis.

Bolsonaro’s reported infection came hours after Australian minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton confirmed that he contracted the disease.

Last week, Dutton was with Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump and U.S. attorney general William Barr. It is unclear whether Ivanka or Barr will get tested for potential COVID-19 infection following Dutton’s reveal.