Covid-19 Has Infected Many Brazilian Cabinet Ministers, Governors and Mayors

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In addition to President Jair Bolsonaro, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 last Tuesday, July 7th, at least 12 high officials of the three governmental branches have already had the disease. At a state level, almost 30 percent of the country’s governors have been contaminated, among them one of Bolsonaro’s political opponents, Rio’s Governor Wilson Witzel.

On the list of those infected are the Mayors of São Paulo, Bruno Covas, and Manaus, Arthur Virgílio, in addition to the President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, and Senator Nelsinho Trad.

Augusto Heleno, the Minister of Institutional Security, and Bento Albuquerque, Minister of Mines and Energy, were the only cabinet officials affected by Covid-19 so far. After Bolsonaro’s diagnosis, at least 13 Ministers who met with him were being tested.

Both Heleno and Albuquerque were infected during Bolsonaro’s trip to the United States in March this year. With dinner in South Florida in the presence of US President Donald Trump, the trip resulted in more than 20 people infected, including the presidency’s communications secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, with whom Bolsonaro had contact.

Before announcing his positive test on Tuesday, the President had been tested three times but said they had all come back negative. The President decided to repeat the test on Monday after running a 38ºC fever and feeling indisposed.

In the risk group because of his age – 65 years old – Bolsonaro has been using the disease to ‘advertise’ hydroxychloroquine, a drug he says he is already taking, but for which there has been no evidence of efficacy in treating the coronavirus in mild or asymptomatic cases.

In the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre and Nelsinho Trad have already had the disease. Trad was in the delegation with Bolsonaro and was hospitalized at the Sírio Libanês Hospital in Brasília.

A political opponent of the President, Rio Governor Witzel announced that he was diagnosed on March 14th, after feeling feverish, with a sore throat and loss of his sense of smell. He did not have major complications, but reported in a video posted on his social media that the disease is not “like any other”.

In addition to him, Governors Carlos Moisés from Santa Catarina, Mauro Mendes from Mato Grosso, Helder Barbalho from Pará, Renan Filho from Alagoas, Paulo Câmara from Pernambuco, Renato Casagrande from Espírito Santo, and Antonio Denarium from Roraima, were infected by Covid-19. The most recent case is that of Santa Catarina, whose governor announced it on July 1st.

The Mayor of Manaus, Arthur Virgílio Neto, was one of the most serious cases among politicians. At 74, he was infected with the virus and has 30 percent of his lung compromised. Nevertheless, he is recovering well. On Monday, he announced that he will continue treatment in São Paulo, at the Sírio Libanês Hospital.

Bruno Covas, Mayor of São Paulo, was diagnosed positive but showed no symptoms of the disease. He had been undergoing periodic tests due to pre-existing treatment for cancer of the digestive tract.

International cases

Bolsonaro is not the only President who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Other heads of state also had the disease, including Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Juan Orlando Hernández, President of Honduras.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo