Bolsonaro gets more time to keep Covid-19 test results private

Appellate court TRF-3. Photo: TRF-3

The Solicitor General’s Office filed an appeal against a ruling by a São Paulo federal court forcing president Jair Bolsonaro to release his Covid-19 tests by today or face a daily fine of BRL 5,000. Judge Mônica Nobre suspended the case for an additional five days — granting the Solicitor General more time to prepare an argument against the disclosure of the test results.

Mr. Bolsonaro claims that both tests he took in March came back negative, but has declined to make the results public. At least 23 members of Bolsonaro’s entourage tested positive for Covid-19 after a trip made earlier that month to the U.S. — and several media sources reported that Mr. Bolsonaro’s first test came back positive at the time.

The president stated earlier this week that even if he had contracted the virus he wouldn’t have felt anything. He has remarked previously that he wouldn’t be at risk from novel coronavirus due to his “history as an athlete.” Mr. Bolsonaro defied social isolation measures again today after he met and embraced supporters while having breakfast in the city of Cristalina, Goiás.