Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for the coronavirus [View all]

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced Tuesday.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly dismissed the threat posed by the virus, calling it just a "little flu" and has refused to wear a mask or practice social distancing during his frequent public appearances.

He has been sharply criticized for his handling of the pandemic and has spoken out against local lockdown measures and other restrictions, arguing that economic fallout from a shutdown would be more harmful than the virus itself.

Brazil is the second hardest-hit country in the world, after the U.S. Some 66,000 people have died of the virus, and 1.6 million have been infected.

Tests are difficult to obtain in the country, and some experts estimate that the true number of infected people could be significantly higher.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (fourth from right) attends a Fouth of July luncheon hosted by American Ambassador Todd Chapman (fourth from left) - one of a number of photos showing Bolsonaro posing closely with others, without masks, at the event.

Brazil has quickly emerged as second only to the U.S. as a Covid-19 hotspot. Its recent average daily death toll of over 1,000 is nearly twice that of the U.S.