Brazil’s health minister Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the UN General Assembly in New York with President Jair Bolsonaro, according to an official statement.

The Brazilian government said on Tuesday that Queiroga, who had received a COVID-19 vaccine, was the second member of Bolsonaro’s entourage to test positive for the virus since arriving in New York for the 76th session of the UNGA.

“The other members of the delegation have been tested and are negative," said the official Brazilian government press release.

The 55-year-old health minister will remain quarantined in the United States, even as the rest of the delegation has returned to Brazil.

Watch

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Queiroga earlier told CNN Brasil that he had worn a mask the entire time when he was in the UN building.

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According to reports, Queiroga was with Bolsonaro at several events, including a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday.

Bolsonaro, a vaccine sceptic and who appeared without a mask on several occasions during his visit to the US, has repeatedly asserted that he would be “the last” Brazilian to get the jab.

In his speech to world leaders at a meeting where the Covid pandemic was top of the agenda, Bolsonaro said his government did not support the use of a vaccine passport and stood by treatment of the virus with unproven drugs such as the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine.

COVID-19 has killed 591,440 Brazilians in the world’s second-deadliest outbreak after the United States.

As vaccination advances in the country, the rolling 14-day average of COVID deaths has fallen to 519 a day, compared with almost 3,000 at the peak of the pandemic in April.

(With inputs from agencies)

Brazil’s health minister Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the UN General Assembly in New York with President Jair Bolsonaro, according to an official statement.

Brazil’s health minister Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the UN General Assembly in New York with President Jair Bolsonaro, according to an official statement. The Brazilian government said on Tuesday that Queiroga, who had received a COVID-19 vaccine, was the second member of Bolsonaro’s entourage to test positive for the virus since arriving in New York for the 76th session of the UNGA. “The other members of the delegation have been tested and are negative," said the official Brazilian government press release. The 55-year-old health minister will remain quarantined in the United States, even as the rest of the delegation has returned to Brazil. Watch Queiroga earlier told CNN Brasil that he had worn a mask the entire time when he was in the UN building. Also read | 'He's son of a wh**e': Brazil President insults Supreme Court judge during live broadcast According to reports, Queiroga was with Bolsonaro at several events, including a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday. Bolsonaro, a vaccine sceptic and who appeared without a mask on several occasions during his visit to the US, has repeatedly asserted that he would be “the last” Brazilian to get the jab. In his speech to world leaders at a meeting where the Covid pandemic was top of the agenda, Bolsonaro said his government did not support the use of a vaccine passport and stood by treatment of the virus with unproven drugs such as the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine. COVID-19 has killed 591,440 Brazilians in the world’s second-deadliest outbreak after the United States. As vaccination advances in the country, the rolling 14-day average of COVID deaths has fallen to 519 a day, compared with almost 3,000 at the peak of the pandemic in April. (With inputs from agencies)

Brazil’s health minister, who is accompanying Bolsonaro at UNGA, tests positive for COVID-19

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation&nbsp;relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Bozkir on Tuesday told reporters that he will be travelling to Bangladesh and Pakistan later this month on the invitation of the respective governments and will also be visiting Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where he will meet with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

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Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar's military crackdown, often considered as "ethnic cleansing" by many rights groups.

Bozkir said that he had also planned a visit to India during his trip to South Asia but postponed it due to an "unexpected situation."

"I also wanted to go to India. It was India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but unfortunately, an unexpected situation came out and I had to postpone the India part to a later stage. But I will absolutely make sure that I'll go to India as well," the UN General Assembly President said, referring to India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> crisis.

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Asked whether the UN will be able to host a regular General Assembly session in September, he said: "It would be wrong if we make a decision now for September on how the participation will be. Will it be a hybrid format? Or will we have again 10,000 people at UN Headquarters? What happens to civil society? What happens to the bilaterals? These are all questions we have in our minds."

He said June will be a proper time to discuss with the US, the host country of the UN, and local authorities on the COVID-19 situation and the feasibility of holding the UN General Assembly.

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With New York City aiming to "fully reopen" on July 1, Bozkir said it will "give us a signal on whether we can have a different type of a high-level week than we had last September"&nbsp;when all meetings were mostly virtual with minimal in-person presence in the UN premises.

"The important thing is not to risk any people's health"&nbsp;we must absolutely go along with the mitigation measures, we must listen to what science is saying to us and we must not really open everything without any precaution.

"If I were the host country, I wouldn't have made any plans for September as of now,&nbsp;because with this pandemic, unfortunately, we are living day by day or week by week. We suddenly see something happening, like what happens in India. Nobody was expecting this suddenly to happen. It changes all the plans. So, I think it's better to start talking about it, to start discussing it, and then leave it to the science and to the local authorities," he added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-sees-record-3780-covid-19-deaths-in-1-day-382959/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week.

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir's planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Bozkir on Tuesday told reporters that he will be travelling to Bangladesh and Pakistan later this month on the invitation of the respective governments and will also be visiting Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where he will meet with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Also read | Myanmar's war displaces new generation on remote river frontier Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar's military crackdown, often considered as "ethnic cleansing" by many rights groups. Bozkir said that he had also planned a visit to India during his trip to South Asia but postponed it due to an "unexpected situation." "I also wanted to go to India. It was India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but unfortunately, an unexpected situation came out and I had to postpone the India part to a later stage. But I will absolutely make sure that I'll go to India as well," the UN General Assembly President said, referring to India's COVID-19 crisis. Also read | India's Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 variant: N440K is 15 times more virulent Asked whether the UN will be able to host a regular General Assembly session in September, he said: "It would be wrong if we make a decision now for September on how the participation will be. Will it be a hybrid format? Or will we have again 10,000 people at UN Headquarters? What happens to civil society? What happens to the bilaterals? These are all questions we have in our minds." He said June will be a proper time to discuss with the US, the host country of the UN, and local authorities on the COVID-19 situation and the feasibility of holding the UN General Assembly. Also read | Fauci's advice to India: Clamp nationwide lockdown, start massive vaccination With New York City aiming to "fully reopen" on July 1, Bozkir said it will "give us a signal on whether we can have a different type of a high-level week than we had last September" when all meetings were mostly virtual with minimal in-person presence in the UN premises. "The important thing is not to risk any people's health" we must absolutely go along with the mitigation measures, we must listen to what science is saying to us and we must not really open everything without any precaution. "If I were the host country, I wouldn't have made any plans for September as of now, because with this pandemic, unfortunately, we are living day by day or week by week. We suddenly see something happening, like what happens in India. Nobody was expecting this suddenly to happen. It changes all the plans. So, I think it's better to start talking about it, to start discussing it, and then leave it to the science and to the local authorities," he added. India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week.

UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir postpones India trip due to COVID-19

The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary Monday, celebrating the mantra that "multilateralism is not an option but a necessity," even as the coronavirus underscores the fragility of international cooperation.

The anniversary will kick off the global body's annual General Assembly, when normally the leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries gather en masse to sound off about the world's problems and offer myriad solutions.

But this year, a part of Manhattan will not be sealed off for the "UNGA"; there will be no endless limousine convoys, and no busy beehive of diplomats, journalists and translators in the halls of the UN.

Instead, with COVID-19 still limiting global movement, just one representative from each of the 193 UN members will be allowed, and only someone already in the United States.

Everyone else will have to appear by videoconference, including some 160-170 heads of state and government planning addresses.

Appearing by video on Tuesday will be Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, who in the past have let their top diplomats speak for them; and US leader Donald Trump.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, who much of the world sees as illegitimate, will address the assembly by video. Missing as speakers are the leaders of Syria and North Korea.&nbsp;

"Diplomacy, to be effective, requires personal contacts, and I am very sorry that we are not going to have the opportunity to bring together leaders of countries," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Even so, he said, there would be "many virtual meetings" on the sidelines of the assembly, convening by teleconference on subjects such as climate change, biodiversity and the conflicts in Libya and Lebanon.

Missed opportunity

The event kicks off with a joint declaration full of good intentions and a call to combat unilateralism.

But that belies the reality of what has happened since Covid-19 erupted early this year, with borders closed, cooperation limited and countries forced to go it alone.

Bertrand Badie, professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, said the great powers missed a chance with the coronavirus to strengthen global cooperation.

Instead, cooperation broke apart amid allegations that China and the World Health Organization moved slowly on the initial outbreak, and the US declared it would act alone and pulled out of the WHO.

The superpowers' behavior has "caused the failure, even the collapse, of the UN Security Council," which was set up to lead on such world-shaking challenges as a pandemic, Badie said.

The powers have clung to a "very conservative vision of security, that humanity is only threatened by rivalries between countries," Badie told AFP, calling it "a very bad sign for the future."

'Moments of disappointment'

The declaration admits that, over seven and a half decades, the UN "has had its moments of disappointment."

"Our world is not yet the world our founders envisaged 75 years ago," it says, citing growing inequality and the persistence of poverty, hunger, armed conflicts, terrorism and climate change.&nbsp;

However, the declaration also notes the United Nations has helped bring about decolonization, promote freedom, set standards for development and eradicate disease.

"The United Nations has helped mitigate dozens of conflicts, saved hundreds of thousands of lives through humanitarian action and provided millions of children with the education that every child deserves," the declaration says.

In the wake of coronavirus, it says, "we have a historic opportunity to build back better and greener."

Paralysis

Yet the coronavirus has placed a spotlight on the paralyzing rivalry of the superpowers, especially between the United States and China, rapidly eroding Washington's global leadership.

"Everyone has been too focused on the domestic impact of the pandemic to really look at the global picture," said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group.

"I am frankly deeply pessimistic about the chances for real UN reform or innovations in global governance. I cannot see China and the US agreeing on big reforms now," Gowan said.

Badie said the organization was immobilized by a power rivalry that dates back to the UN's creation.

To embark on reforms, he said, it is necessary for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China -- to change their Cold War mentality.

The five, though, "will always refuse, because that would lead to an overhaul of the 'international community' and the loss of the privileges of the nuclear oligarchy," Badie said.

The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary Monday, celebrating the mantra that "multilateralism is not an option but a necessity," even as the coronavirus underscores the fragility of international cooperation.

The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary Monday, celebrating the mantra that "multilateralism is not an option but a necessity," even as the coronavirus underscores the fragility of international cooperation. The anniversary will kick off the global body's annual General Assembly, when normally the leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries gather en masse to sound off about the world's problems and offer myriad solutions. But this year, a part of Manhattan will not be sealed off for the "UNGA"; there will be no endless limousine convoys, and no busy beehive of diplomats, journalists and translators in the halls of the UN. Instead, with COVID-19 still limiting global movement, just one representative from each of the 193 UN members will be allowed, and only someone already in the United States. Everyone else will have to appear by videoconference, including some 160-170 heads of state and government planning addresses. Appearing by video on Tuesday will be Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, who in the past have let their top diplomats speak for them; and US leader Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, who much of the world sees as illegitimate, will address the assembly by video. Missing as speakers are the leaders of Syria and North Korea. "Diplomacy, to be effective, requires personal contacts, and I am very sorry that we are not going to have the opportunity to bring together leaders of countries," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Even so, he said, there would be "many virtual meetings" on the sidelines of the assembly, convening by teleconference on subjects such as climate change, biodiversity and the conflicts in Libya and Lebanon. Missed opportunity The event kicks off with a joint declaration full of good intentions and a call to combat unilateralism. But that belies the reality of what has happened since Covid-19 erupted early this year, with borders closed, cooperation limited and countries forced to go it alone. Bertrand Badie, professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, said the great powers missed a chance with the coronavirus to strengthen global cooperation. Instead, cooperation broke apart amid allegations that China and the World Health Organization moved slowly on the initial outbreak, and the US declared it would act alone and pulled out of the WHO. The superpowers' behavior has "caused the failure, even the collapse, of the UN Security Council," which was set up to lead on such world-shaking challenges as a pandemic, Badie said. The powers have clung to a "very conservative vision of security, that humanity is only threatened by rivalries between countries," Badie told AFP, calling it "a very bad sign for the future." 'Moments of disappointment' The declaration admits that, over seven and a half decades, the UN "has had its moments of disappointment." "Our world is not yet the world our founders envisaged 75 years ago," it says, citing growing inequality and the persistence of poverty, hunger, armed conflicts, terrorism and climate change. However, the declaration also notes the United Nations has helped bring about decolonization, promote freedom, set standards for development and eradicate disease. "The United Nations has helped mitigate dozens of conflicts, saved hundreds of thousands of lives through humanitarian action and provided millions of children with the education that every child deserves," the declaration says. In the wake of coronavirus, it says, "we have a historic opportunity to build back better and greener." Paralysis Yet the coronavirus has placed a spotlight on the paralyzing rivalry of the superpowers, especially between the United States and China, rapidly eroding Washington's global leadership. "Everyone has been too focused on the domestic impact of the pandemic to really look at the global picture," said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group. "I am frankly deeply pessimistic about the chances for real UN reform or innovations in global governance. I cannot see China and the US agreeing on big reforms now," Gowan said. Badie said the organization was immobilized by a power rivalry that dates back to the UN's creation. To embark on reforms, he said, it is necessary for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China -- to change their Cold War mentality. The five, though, "will always refuse, because that would lead to an overhaul of the 'international community' and the loss of the privileges of the nuclear oligarchy," Badie said.

The UN marks 75th anniversary facing world split by COVID-19

The president of the U.N. General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said on June 8 that world leaders will not be coming to New York for their annual gathering in late September for the first time in the 75-year history of the United Nations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UN General Assembly meet cancelled due to COVID-19: World leaders may meet virtually

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Brazil’s health minister, who is accompanying Bolsonaro at UNGA, tests positive for COVID-19

UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir postpones India trip due to COVID-19

The UN marks 75th anniversary facing world split by COVID-19

UN General Assembly meet cancelled due to COVID-19: World leaders may meet virtually