Jair Bolsonaro has announced live on television he has tested positive for coronavirus – after months of repeatedly trivializing the pandemic and flouting social distancing guidelines.
In March, as Covid-19 claimed its first victims in Brazil, the far-right populist leader bragged that, if infected, he would quickly shake off the illness thanks to his ‘athlete’s background’. Since then, the president has continued to attend social events and political rallies, often wearing masks incorrectly, if at all.
Brazil has suffered one of the world’s worst outbreaks, with more than 1.6m confirmed cases and 65,000 related deaths, according to official data released on 6 July.
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus
Coronavirus – latest global updates
In This Story: COVID-19
Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.
Symptoms of coronavirus
The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
- a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
- a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
- shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)
Latest News about Covid-19
Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.