Brazilian official who met Trump at Mar-a-Lago tests positive for coronavirus

Updated: March 12, 2020 Published: March 12, 2020

In this March 7, 2020 photo provided by Brazil's presidential press office, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, center, stands with President Donald Trump, second from left, Vice President Mike Pence, right, and Brazil's Communications Director Fabio Wajngarten, behind Trump partially covered, during a dinner in Florida. Wajngarten tested positive for the new coronavirus, just days after the trip, according to Bolsonaro's communications office on Thursday, March 12, 2020. (Alan Santos/Brazil's Presidential Press Office via AP)

The communications chief for Brazil’s president has tested positive for the new coronavirus just days after flying with his boss to Florida, where he met U.S. President Donald Trump.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s communications director, Fábio Wajngarten, tested positive and Bolsonaro’s office says measures are being taken to protect the president’s health.

The White House said Thursday that Trump has no plans to be tested for the coronavirus or go into self-quarantine.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that “exposures from the case are being assessed, which will dictate next steps.”

Grisham says Trump and Vice President Mike Pence “had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time."

Wajngarten joined Bolsonaro on a three-day trip to the U.S.. On Saturday, he was at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and posted a photo of himself posing beside Trump. A video from the event also showed him standing directly behind both presidents as they spoke to the crowd.

Wajngarten initially denied a report on Wednesday that he had been tested for the virus, saying on his social media account that his health was fine. He is now in self-quarantine at home, according to the statement.