Brazil's Health Minister Marcelo Quiroga Tests Positive For COVID-19 In New York

Hours after Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro spoke at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Tuesday, reports of the country's health minister Marcelo Quiroga testing positive for COVID-19 in New York popped up.

Quiroga, who got his first shot of COVID-19 vaccine in January, was in good health and would remain in isolation in the US, Brazil’s government said in a statement, reported Associated Press. According to the statement, other members of the country's government who are currently in New York tested negative for coronavirus.

Queiroga and Bolsonaro were clicked together several times this week. On Monday, the health minister had breakfast with many staff members of investment funds in New York.

Bolsonaro spoke at the UNGA Tuesday, flouting the requirement for all attendees of the event to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The President has said several times that he didn't get the jab, and that getting a shot is a medical and personal decision.

Meanwhile, in a 12-minute address at the UNGA, he denounced coronavirus containment measures, preached unproven COVID-19 remedies, and spoke lies about Brazilian environment and politics, The Guardian reported.

Bolsonaro, who has refused to get vaccinated, said that his government had long supported COVID vaccination, even though he has undermined efforts to immunize his people against coronavirus that has killed almost 600,000 individuals in his country.

He also spoke about his administration’s support for COVID remedies, known as “early treatment” in his country, despite scientific and medical communities across the globe opposing them. “We do not understand why many countries along with a large part of the media opposed ‘early treatment,'” Bolsonaro said and also announced that he had taken such drugs himself.

On Monday, the New York mayor, Bill de Blasio, slammed Bolsonaro over his choice to not get vaccinated. He added that Brazil's President shouldn’t have bothered visiting the American city without getting jabbed.

After Bolsonaro's speech, Leftist congresswoman Vivi Reis said that it is shameful and sickening to see this kind of president give such a "lie-filled speech on the international stage." She added that he should not be representing Brazil, which is a country rich in culture, biodiversity, youth and workers.