Wednesday, September 22, 2021
During a UN visit to New York
Second corona case in Bolsonaro’s delegation
Because of the UN general debate, Brazil’s President Bolsonaro is currently in New York with his team. It is now known that his Minister of Health is Corona-positive. It is the second infection within the delegation.
Brazil’s Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for the corona virus. The minister was found to be infected after participating in the UN general debate in New York on Tuesday, an official statement said. The other members of the Brazilian delegation were therefore tested negative. It is already the second corona infection in the team of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro since his arrival in New York.
Queiroga had attended several events, including a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The health minister will “stay in the US for isolation,” the statement said. The 55-year-old was reportedly vaccinated against Corona and is “doing well”.
The right-wing populist Bolsonaro played down the corona virus from the start and repeatedly speaks out against the use of masks and other containment measures. During his trip to the USA he was seen several times without a mouth and nose covering. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro caused astonishment at the start of the UN general debate with statements about his approach to the pandemic. For example, he praised the preventive use of drugs whose effectiveness against the virus has not been proven.
Bolsonaro has emphasized several times that he has not yet been vaccinated against Corona. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio admonished Bolsonaro in a message saying, “You have to get vaccinated if you want to come here.” Because of the compulsory vaccination in many public indoor spaces, a debate about mandatory vaccination certificates for participation in the UN general debate has flared up – an undertaking that is doomed to failure in view of the special diplomatic position of the UN headquarters.