Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has announced live on television that he tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The news came after the far-right leader repeatedly dismissed the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

A hand-picked group of reporters attended Bolsonaro's Tuesday press conference outside his official residence. During the televised event, the president claimed there was no reason to fear his result and even took off his mask to show he was doing fine. 

Bolsonaro also thanked God for giving him the position to decide the future of the country, The Guardian reported.

The Brazilian leader allegedly fell ill two days after he and a handful of government officials attended a Fourth of July luncheon at the residence of an American ambassador in Brazil.

A photo taken from the event showed Bolsonaro and other attendees sitting shoulder-to-shoulder without wearing masks.

Speaking to the media, the president claimed he rested on Monday after he experienced fatigue, muscle pain, and fever. He said taking hydroxychloroquine helped improve his health.

Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Bolsonaro endorsed the drug as a COVID-19 treatment. However, recent studies showed it was ineffective in warding off the virus.

Bolsonaro also used the press conference to reaffirm his belief that the novel coronavirus poses little to no risk to healthy people. He said the positive diagnosis is the result of his leadership style, which required him to be involved with the community, as reported by the New York Times.

On COVID-19 Response and Criticism

The 65-year-old far-right populist became the subject of criticism at home and abroad after he allegedly allowed the virus to surge across Brazil.

He continued to flout the use of face masks and social distancing measures even as Brazil became the second-worst-hit country across the globe.

Bolsonaro continued to attend social events and political rallies even after COVID-19 killed its first victims in Brazil in March.

As of Wednesday, the country has reported over 1,674,655 confirmed cases and more than 66,868 coronavirus deaths, as shown in worldometers.info.

The president's aides tested positive for the virus in recent months. However, he continues to dismiss the need for precautionary measures, boasting of how his athletic background would protect him from contracting the virus.

He also encouraged his supporters to ignore lockdown measures imposed by local officials.

In the first week of July, Jair Bolsonaro watered down a law that required residents to wear a face mask in public spaces. The original article mandated masks in commercial and industrial establishments, temples, and closed spaces.

The president's recent order removed provisions that required masks in shops and churches, the Aljazeera reported. He also vetoed articles that required employers to provide masks to staffers, citing the mandates were unconstitutional.

The diagnosis is the latest challenge for the government that has seen a shuffling of health ministers since Bolsonaro fired the first health official in April after disagreeing about the administration's coronavirus response.

The second health minister quit nearly a month after he took over the position.

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