Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel has announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
According to his video message, Witzel has been suffering from a fever and sore throat recently, so he decided to do a test for the disease, which came back positive on Tuesday.
"Right now, I feel better and I will continue to work while in self-isolation, following the recommendations of doctors", Witzel noted.
He also urged Brazilians to remain at home and observe the country’s social distancing measures in order to slow the spread of the disease.
Several political figures, including presidential communications secretary Fabio Wajngarten, have tested positive for the disease during the ongoing outbreak in Brazil.
The southeastern states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have been the most affected by the outbreak. In total, 24,232 people have been infected with COVID-19 in the country, and at least 1,378 have died from the disease, the latest count by Johns Hopkins University shows.