Brazil's Bolsonaro, Long a Skeptic, Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (Reuters)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (Reuters)
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Brazil's Bolsonaro, Long a Skeptic, Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (Reuters)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (Reuters)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, after months of playing down the severity of the virus which he has called a "little flu."

The right-wing populist said in an interview broadcast on state-run TV Brasil that he was in good health despite running a fever.

Bolsonaro said he took the test on Monday after feeling ill the previous day and has been taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug with unproven effectiveness against COVID-19.

The positive test looks set to spark a frantic period of contact tracing and further tests for those who met Bolsonaro in recent days, including Economy Minister Paulo Guedes, Brazilian bank Bradesco's Chairman Luiz Carlos Trabuco and planemaker Embraer's CEO Francisco Gomes Neto.

Over the weekend, Bolsonaro was also in close contact with US Ambassador Todd Chapman during July 4 celebrations. Pictures showed neither wearing a mask.

Brazil has the world's second-largest outbreak behind the United States. Latin America's largest country has more than 1.6 million confirmed cases and 65,000 COVID-19 deaths.

Bolsonaro joins a short list of heads of government to become infected with the coronavirus, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, both of whom were treated in hospital and needed extra oxygen.

Pan American Health Organization director for communicable diseases Marcos Espinal wished Bolsonaro a "speedy recovery" but said his infection carried a message.

"The message is that this virus is unpredictable and does not respect race, class or people in power, despite security around any president," Espinal said.

"For Brazil, the infection of its president should reinforce the need to strengthen implementations of social distancing recommendations and the use of masks to mitigate the spread of coronavirus," he added.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly defied local guidelines to wear a mask in public, even after a judge ordered him to do so in late June. Bolsonaro has also railed against social distancing rules supported by the World Health Organization.

The US embassy in Brasilia said via Twitter on Monday that the ambassador had lunch on July 4 with Bolsonaro, five ministers and the president's son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro. The ambassador had no symptoms, but would undergo testing and is "taking precautions," the embassy said.



Japan, Canada Agree to Cooperate on Market Stability

Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne attends the new cabinet's swearing-in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo
Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne attends the new cabinet's swearing-in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo
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Japan, Canada Agree to Cooperate on Market Stability

Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne attends the new cabinet's swearing-in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo
Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne attends the new cabinet's swearing-in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo

Japan and Canada, who is this year's chair of the G7 developed economies, have agreed to cooperate to maintain stability in financial markets and the global financial system, Japan's Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

In a phone conference on Wednesday, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato and his Canadian counterpart, Francois-Philippe Champagne, shared concerns over the series of tariffs implemented by the US government, the ministry said in a statement.

As US President Donald Trump's sweeping reciprocal tariffs took effect from midnight with a 104% levy on Chinese imports, China retaliated by vowing to raise tariffs on the US to 84% from Thursday, Reuters reported.

This led to a market rout with bond prices tumbling and global stocks falling further. US Treasuries, the safest haven for the global financial system, were hit by fresh selling pressure on Wednesday in a sign that investors were dumping their safest assets.

The US dollar also weakened against other major currencies.

Japan will cooperate with the Group of Seven advanced economies and the International Monetary Fund to help stabilize a market rout unleashed by US tariffs, the country's top currency diplomat said on Wednesday.