The Ministry of Health reported yesterday that it is investigating three suspected cases of coronavirus. The patients are from Porto Alegre, Curitiba, and Belo Horizonte. The first suspect resides in Belo Horizonte and is a 22-year-old student who traveled to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. The student is stable.
The government raised the alert level and began to consider an imminent risk of the disease reaching the country, in addition to advising travel to Chinese cities. Jair Bolsonaro said it does not force rescuing Brazilians from regions affected by the virus, which has already killed 132 people and infected almost 6,000.
According to the Foreign Ministry, around 70 Brazilians are in the province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital. In a note, the ministry says that any withdrawal of citizens depends on Chinese authorization and compliance with international quarantine rules.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon