Sao Paulo, Aug 13 (IANS) Joao Doria, the Governor of Sao Paulo state which is the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“I received my sixth COVID-19 test and this one was unfortunately positive,” Xinhua news agency quoted Doria as saying in a statement on Wednesdau.
The Governor added that he “absolutely asymptomatic. I feel fine and will follow the medical protocol at home”.
Sao Paulo has recorded 25,869 deaths from the disease and 655,181 cases, and an intensive care bed occupancy rate of 58.3 per cent, according to the state government.
Most of the state, which on February 26 registered the first case of COVID-19 in Latin America, is in a yellow lockdown phase, meaning bars, restaurants and parks here can open for six hours a day.
Bruno Covas, the mayor of the state capital also called Sao Paulo, was tested positive for the virus last month.
Corona-sceptic President Jair Bolsonaro was also tested positive on July 7, but has recovered since.
His wife, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Marcos Pontes were also infected.
Brazil has the world’s second largest outbreak of COVID-19, after the US, with 3,164,785 cases and 104,201 deaths.
–IANS
ksk/