Boris Johnson filmed shaking hands with Brazil’s health minister who now has Covid

The Prime Minister met Marcelo Queiroga on Monday, hours before he tested positive and went into isolation in New York

Boris Johnson has been pictured shaking hands with Brazil’s health minister – hours before he tested positive for Covid.

Marcelo Queiroga met the UK Prime Minister on Monday in a meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York.

The pair shook hands as part of a procession while Mr Johnson met Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who refuses to get the vaccine.

It’s understood the Prime Minister’s aides are unconcerned about the meeting as Mr Queiroga was wearing a mask, and Mr Johnson is double-jabbed and washes his hands regularly.

Mr Queiroga will remain in New York in quarantine, his government’s communications office said.

“The minister is doing well,” the statement said. It added that the rest of the delegation tested negative for the virus.

Mr Queiroga told CNN Brasil that he had worn a mask the entire time that he was in the UN building.

Asked if Mr Johnson had since taken a Covid test, a No10 spokesman said: I’m obviously not out there and it is early in the morning (in the US).

“But there are strict Covid measures in place at UNGA which the Prime Minister will obviously adhere to.

“As you know, he is double jabbed.”

During their meeting the British Prime Minister urged Brazil’s President to get the Covid vaccine.

As the press were ushered out of the room, Mr Johnson told them: “Thanks everybody, get AstraZeneca vaccines.”

He turned to Mr Bolsonaro and said: “I’ve had it twice.”

The Brazilian leader, vying for re-election, pointed at himself and wagged his finger, saying “not yet” through an interpreter before laughing.

He has previously made bizarre claims about vaccines including that they could turn people into crocodiles.

With unvaccinated diners barred from eating in New York restaurants, Bolsonaro and his entourage ate pizza on a pavement on their first night in the city on Sunday.

The health minister was the second member of the Brazilian delegation in New York to have tested positive.

A young diplomat who was part of an advance team preparing Bolsonaro’s visit tested positive on the weekend and was isolated.

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.

Boris Johnson has also urged vaccine-sceptic dancers on Strictly Come Dancing to get the jab.

Asked if they should be kicked off the show, he told reporters: “That’s a matter for the producers but I strongly believe people should get vaccinated.

“I don’t want to bully people or to lecture them – well I don’t mind lecturing them, I’ll lecture them. I think it’s a great thing to do for yourself, for your family, for your community, I think people should get a jab and it’s a wonderful thing to do.”