Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tested positive for Covid-19 in New York for UNGA

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Queiroga was part of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidential committee, the statement said, adding that he was “doing well”. So far, other members of the Brazilian delegation have tested negative for the virus.

Queiroga told CNN affiliate CNN Brasil on Tuesday that he would quarantine himself in New York for 14 days and not leave the United States with other members of his delegation. Some members of the delegation canceled their attendance due to the risk of infecting members from other countries, Queiroga said.

Queiroga, a cardiologist, is Brazil’s fourth health minister since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He was named earlier this year.

He had been vaccinated with the Chinese-made CoronaVac vaccine, the minister said last week. He didn’t say when he got hit.

CNN Brasil was the first to report on the minister’s condition prior to the release of the presidential statement.

A spokesperson for the UN secretary-general declined to comment, saying they had “a contact tracing protocol in place in case of any occurrence” at UN headquarters.

Earlier this week, Queiroga was criticized for responding to protesters in New York City with an obscene gesture, according to CNN Brasil. Videos have gone viral on social media, showing the moment he appeared from the window of a minibus and waved to protesters outside the Brazilian mission residence at the UN, CNN Brasil reported.

Even before the UNGA began on Tuesday, there were concerns that the international gathering could pose a health risk – especially with much of the United States grappling with severe outbreaks of Covid-19. The US government issued a letter in August encouraging world leaders to consider joining virtually, not in person, to help avoid “a super-spreading event.”

Still, more than 100 heads of state and government have arrived in person for the event – some of them not having been vaccinated.

The loudest of these has been President Bolsonaro, who has long played down the severity of the pandemic and advocated for the use of unproven drugs. Last week, he bluntly said on social media that he would not get the vaccine because he had already contracted the virus.
On Tuesday, Bolsonaro respected the tradition of delivering the first speech at the meeting, in the presence of the rest of the Brazilian delegation. The president has so far had meetings with several leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Queiroga also shook hands with Johnson on Monday.

Photos released by Gilson Neto, Brazil’s tourism minister, show members of the Brazilian delegation eating pizza outdoors in New York on Sunday. Almost all have been unmasked.

Shortly after the news that Queiroga had tested positive, Bolsonaro posted a video on Twitter showing himself waving and shaking hands with supporters outside the hotel where he is staying, without wearing a mask.

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