Brazil: Another Bolsonaro Minister Infected with Coronavirus

HAVANA TIMES – After Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro became infected with the novel coronavirus, his minister for social affairs said on Monday that he, too, has the virus, reported dpa news.

“I started to feel some symptoms on Thursday. On Friday, I had a test and today, I got the results: Covid-19,” Social Affairs Minister Onyx Lorenzoni tweeted on Monday.

Following General Augusto Heleno, who heads the cabinet for institutional security and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque, Lorenzoni is the third minister in Brazil to become infected.

Bolsonaro tested positive for the virus two weeks ago.

Brazil is the country second-worst affected by the virus, and infections passed the 2-million mark last week. Authorities record more than 1,000 virus-related deaths each day. Health care and burial facilities throughout the country are reaching their limits.

The government has repeatedly played down the severity of the outbreak. Bolsonaro has dismissed it as a “light flu” and refused to implement protective measures, fearing the economic consequences of a lockdown.

He has appeared in public repeatedly, causing crowds to gather, and taken selfies with supporters.

Lorenzoni, too, often went out without a protective face covering to attend demonstrations by government supporters and other public gatherings.