Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's latest COVID-19 test results came out positive on Tuesday, bringing to light earlier concerns about the potential risks of him contracting the disease due to lax social distancing practices.
Bolsonaro Downplays COVID-19 Again
Bolsonaro on Tuesday evening announced on live television that he has been infected with the novel coronavirus. However, the Brazilian leader noted that despite the news, there "no reason for fear."
"That's life. Life goes on," he said. His comments came after months of downplaying the disease, referring to COVID-19 as a "little flu" and disregarding the importance of social distancing in public.
Following his announcement, Bolsonaro also spoke to reporters, stepping back and removing his mask, smiling and letting them know that he is "well, fine."
It is worth noting that the positive diagnosis came within days after Bolsonaro had a July 4th lunch celebration with U.S. ambassador to Brazil, Todd Chapman. Before the said lunch meeting, Bolsonaro also attended multiple other social events.
Bolsonaro Says Local Leaders Responsible For COVID-19 Response
Amid ongoing criticism for the Brazilian president's handling of the country's coronavirus crisis, Bolsonaro said after his positive diagnosis that "governors and mayors, according to a decision of the Supreme Court," were responsible for managing the situation.
Bolsonaro has clashed multiple times with some local leaders who believe that an early reopening of the economy poses a serious health threats to citizens.
Despite heightening political tensions, Bolsonaro called on governors and mayors to keep business operations running and to revive the economy by reopening previously closed shops set in place to prevent further COVID-19 infections.
Bolsonaro also criticized governors and mayors who implemented strict lockdown and movement control orders for citizens. He argued that getting infected and fatalities from the virus were inevitable.
Brazilian Leader's Positive Test A Blow To Credibility
There were mixed reactions following Bolsonaro's confirmation that he contracted COVID-19, but many experts believe the diagnosis will play a major role in how his leadership and crisis management skills were tested throughout the pandemic.
Political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro Mauricio Santoro noted that Bolsonaro's infection "is a blow to his credibility," considering that he had been rejecting the seriousness of the outbreak.
Santoro further explained that the unsurprising diagnosis may be interpreted as "another example of the failure" of the Bolsonaro administration's management of the pandemic.
Brazil has a population of over 210 million people and some health experts previously noted that the country's inadequate testing capacity may be showing inaccurate infection tolls.
Over 45,000 New Infections
Also on Tuesday, Brazil added 45,305 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the national total to 1,668,589 infections.
Aside from thousands of new deaths, the country also lost 1,254 lives to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. The national fatality toll now stands at 66,741.
Due to the new infections, Brazil remains the second hardest-hit country in the world both in confirmed patients and deaths.
