Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus – The Guardian

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus - The Guardian thumbnail

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has announced stay on television he has examined sure for coronavirus.

“It came wait on sure,” a conceal-wearing Bolsonaro told a hand-picked body of workers of journalists on Tuesday lunchtime outdoors his first payment affirm.

“There’s no cause within the wait on of distress. That’s lifestyles,” the president added. “Existence goes on. I thank God for my lifestyles and the feature I’ve been given to reach to a resolution the system forward for this immense nation that is named Brazil.”

Bolsonaro, 65, has usually trivialized the pandemic and flouted social distancing, at the same time as Brazil changed into the 2d-worst-hit country after the United States, with more than 65,000 deaths and 1.6m confirmed cases.

In March, as Covid-19 claimed its first victims in Brazil, the a ways-staunch populist old skool an handle to the nation to brag that, if infected, he would quick shake off the illness thanks to his “athlete’s background”.

Since then, Bolsonaro has persevered to wait on social events and political rallies, in overall wearing masks incorrectly, or now not wearing them in any admire.


Bolsonaro says given his ‘athletic ancient previous’ Covid-19 ‘would now not necessarily wretchedness me’ – video

After announcing his sure consequence on Tuesday, Bolsonaro stepped wait on from the journalists he used to be addressing, removed his conceal and, grinning, said: “Exact leer at my face. I’m successfully, lovely, thank God … Thanks to all these who were praying for me … and to those that criticise me, no field, elevate on criticising as great as you admire.”

Bolsonaro additionally persevered to undermine what he called “overblown” and apprehension-inducing attempts by Brazilian governors and mayors to behind the unfold of the virus by shutdowns and social distancing.

“Some authorities even forbade members from going to the beach,” Bolsonaro complained, before claiming: “Virtually all of Brazilians contract this virus and don’t leer a thing.”

Bolsonaro’s prognosis comes appropriate three days after he had lunch at the dwelling of the US ambassador to Brazil, Todd Chapman, within the capital, Brasília.

Also modern at that Independence Day procure collectively had been loads of top cabinet members, alongside with the foreign minister, Ernesto Araújo, defence minister, Fernando Azevedo, and the president’s son, Eduardo, a baby-kisser who is Steve Bannon’s representative in South The US. The males had been photographed without face masks.

Experiences of Bolsonaro’s imaginable an infection first emerged on Monday evening, with local news stores reporting that he had been examined after developing coronavirus signs, alongside with a 38C temperature and a chronic cough.

An MRI of Bolsonaro’s lungs used to be additionally taken, with the president telling supporters it had shown them to be “obvious”.

The newspaper O Globo said it understood Brazil’s president had began complaining of tiredness on Saturday evening, after his lunch with the US ambassador, and persevered feeling ailing on Sunday.


Bolsonaro is now not going to wait on with coronavirus, so Brazil’s favelas are helping themselves – video

Political company and foes had been snappy to desire Bolsonaro successfully.

“The utterly thing to be performed is wish him a fleshy restoration,” tweeted Sergio Moro, who resigned as Bolsonaro’s justice minister in April, accusing his dilapidated boss of trying to improperly meddle within the federal police.

Renato Casagrande, the governor of Espírito Santo affirm, additionally tweeted his finest needs but added pointedly: “Social distancing/isolation [and] the utilization of masks are the finest techniques of combating contagion.”

The World Health Organizations emergencies chief, Dr Michael Ryan, said Bolsonaro’s wretchedness showed how all people used to be inclined. “It doesn’t topic to the virus whereas you are a prince or a pauper,” he said.

But talking to the Brazilian broadcaster GloboNews, Bolsonaro’s dilapidated health minster Luiz Henrique Mandetta said the news raised questions over the president’s behaviour. “Going around Brasília, without a conceal, hugging members … he used to be flirting with an infection – and he used to be infected,” he said.

Mandetta said there used to be an “extremely excessive likelihood” Bolsonaro would be lovely. But he additionally favorite that within the federal district, which comprises Brazil’s capital, nearly all intensive care items had been currently on the verge of “crumple”.

Bolsonaro has usually downplayed the risks of Covid-19 and told Brazil to procure wait on to work to dwell a ways off from a devastating economic shatter but he is now the 2d member of his family suffering its outcomes.

The 80-twelve months-worn grandmother of Brazil’s first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro, used to be reportedly intubated on Sunday, after being admitted to medical institution with coronavirus closing Wednesday.

In line with the G1 news online page, Maria Aparecida Firmo Ferreira, who is reportedly estranged from the presidential clan, used to be figured out collapsed within the avenue by passersby and taken to a medical institution in Ceilândia, a satellite tv for computer city outdoors Brasília.

Bolsonaro’s response to the coronavirus has sparked a domestic and international outcry, with many straight away blaming him for the excessive loss of life toll. Brazil currently lacks a eternal health minister after two had been compelled from their jobs in decrease than a month after clashing with Bolsonaro over the pandemic.

On Monday evening Bolsonaro’s son, Carlos, attacked critics of his father who he claimed had been willing the president’s loss of life.

“The full selection of members rooting for the loss of life of the head of the government staunch now must location off a straight away conceal of cohesion from other [political] leaders,” Carlos Bolsonaro tweeted.


Why has Brazil been so badly hit by coronavirus? – video explainer

One other favorite baby-kisser, the mayor of the greatest city within the Amazon, Manaus, used to be flown to medical institution in São Paulo on Monday after additionally falling ailing with coronavirus closing week.

“The medical doctors are optimistic and so are we,” Arthur Virgílio, who had reportedly been receiving non-invasive respiratory toughen, said in a WhatsApp message to the Guardian.

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