Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tests positive for Covid

Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday. He is the second case of Covid-19 infection among the Brazilian delegation to the UN General Assembly.

Mr. Queiroga attended the plenary session at the UN Headquarters today. According to CNN Brasil, however, he used a face mask at all times. 

The Health Minister did not accompany President Jair Bolsonaro on his flight back to Brazil, which boarded earlier today — and will be quarantined in a New York City hotel for 14 days. It remains unclear whether he will pay for his stay or if the funds will come from the public purse. Two weeks at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel could cost up to BRL 25,000 — almost 25 times the national minimum wage.

Sources told The Brazilian Report that Mr. Queiroga had a meeting with investors in New York yesterday. He was also present at the bilateral meeting between Mr. Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where he was the only one wearing a face mask. He was also alongside First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro during an event held by the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations.

Mr. Queiroga has been at the center of controversy recently, catering to the most radical factions of Bolsonarism. Last week, he suspended vaccine rollouts for teenagers — citing confusion and misleading data in the process. On Tuesday, a Supreme Court ruled that the issue lies under the jurisdiction of states and municipalities.

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