Brazil President Bolsonaro to be tested again for coronavirus after negative test

A representative for Bolsonaro’s press office declined to comment.

Bolsonaro and a large Brazilian entourage, including cabinet ministers, met with Trump and other senior U.S. officials last weekend at Mar-a-Lago.

One of the party, Bolsonaro’s communications secretary Fabio Wajngarten, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and is in quarantine at his home.

Charge d’Affairs Nestor Forster Jr. at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, who was also present at the Trump dinner, has also now tested positive, GloboNews television channel reported late on Friday.

Bolsonaro said earlier in the day that he had tested negative for coronavirus, in a post on his Facebook page.

“Tests negative for COVID-19 Mr President of the Republic Jair Bolsonaro,” the post said, above an old image of Bolsonaro making an obscene local gesture in an apparent response to some media reports that a first test had been positive.

Estado de S.Paulo said Bolsonaro would remain isolated in quarantine at his official residence until the beginning of next week.

An unnamed member of the president’s medical staff said Bolsonaro needed to be isolated for seven days from the time of being in contact with someone infected with the virus.

Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo tweeted earlier on Friday that his test had come back negative.

Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva tested negative as well, the ministry said in a statement.

The results for others in the Brazilian delegation, including Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle and Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, have not yet been published.

However, Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Karina Kufa, who was part of the delegation, tested positive, according to the O Globo newspaper.

Senator Nelsinho Trad, who also formed part of the group, said late Friday that his test had also come back positive.

“Life continues normally, we have many challenges ahead and many problems to solve,” Bolsonaro said outside his official residence after news of the negative test result.

He waved to supporters but said it was better not to shake their hands.

The testing of Bolsonaro and many in his inner circle has changed the president’s tone on a virus that he dismissed on Tuesday as largely a “fantasy.”