Coronavirus: Bolsonaro says he's tested negative amid reports he had Covid-19 following Trump meeting
'Other flus kill more than this', Bolsonaro said days ago, downplaying pandemic
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested negative for the coronavirus, after multiple reports claimed he tested positive for coronavirus.
The testing followed days after Mr Bolsonaro visited the United States, where he met with US president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence at the American's Mar-a-Lago resort.
While a statement posted to Mr Bolsonaro's Facebook page claims he tested negative, his press secretary, who was also on the trip and pictured alongside Mr Trump, did testpositive for the virus, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation this week.
On Friday, Miami mayor Francis Suarez, who was also present during Mr Bolsonaro's visit to South Florida last week, said he had also tested positive after coming into contact with the Brazilian delegation.
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"I'm not concerned," Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday after those coronavirus cases were reported. So far, Mr Trump and Mr Pence have not been tested for the virus, even as many other Republican officials have decided to self-isolate and get tested after similar potential exposures.
A source with knowledge of the White House’s response had earlier pushed back on the initial reports indicating Bolsonaro had tested positive for the virus, stressing the Brazilian government has yet to confirm he has tested positive.
Mr Bolsonaro, for his part, has downplayed the threat of Covid-19 recently, saying that he believes the worries are "oversized".
"Other flus kill more than this," Mr Bolsonaro said on Wednesday.
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