São Paulo Governor tests negative for Covid-19

São Paulo Governor João Doria has tested negative for Covid-19, sharing the results on social media this morning. On Monday, David Uip, the administration’s leading infectious disease expert and head of São Paulo’s Covid-19 task force was diagnosed with Covid-19.

The publication of the results on Twitter is a veiled jab at President Jair Bolsonaro—who was tested twice, after 22 members of a Brazilian delegation that traveled to the U.S. two weeks ago to meet with President Donald Trump contracted the virus. Mr. Bolsonaro said his exam came back negative, however, he has yet to make any medical information available to the public and broke his self-imposed isolation to address his supporters at a demonstration last week.

Over the weekend, a federal court in Brasília ordered the Armed Forces Hospital—the facility in which Mr. Bolsonaro was tested—to share a list of infected patients with national health authorities. The hospital, which operates under the Defense Minister’s umbrella, had previously refused to do so.

UPDATE (March 24, 2020. 11:32 am): São Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas has also tested negative to Covid-19.

Looking at 2022

Mr. Doria entered politics in 2016 in a successful campaign for São Paulo’s mayorship—only to resign a year later in order to run for governor, he also was also successful in this endeavor. 

His election was partially made possible by his association with Jair Bolsonaro in 2018—he even branded an informal “Bolsodoria” slate on the ballot. Soon after Bolsonaro took office in January 2019, Mr. Doria turned into one of the president’s main political foes

From day 1, the governor has had eyes set on the presidential palace—carefully moving in order to place himself as a national player. The coronavirus has only further exacerbated the rivalry, with the president calling Mr. Doria “a lunatic” for quarantining his state—and the governor accusing Mr. Bolsonaro of being “irresponsible,” and declaring that his administration is “doing what the federal government isn’t.”

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