RIO DE JANEIRO - Confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil surged past 600 on Thursday , more than doubling in two days, as a diplomatic spat over the disease's origins between President Jair Bolsonaro's son and the Chinese ambassador threatened relations with Brazil's top trading partner.
After blaming the global spread of the virus on China, the son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, attempted to defuse the situation on Thursday, saying he stood by his criticism of the government in Beijing but did not intend to offend the Chinese people. The Chinese Embassy responded by firing off a series of tweets to Eduardo Bolsonaro saying his words were"absurd, prejudiced ... irresponsible" and that he should seek to educate himself.
President Bolsonaro, who has faced criticism for his lax handling of an outbreak he initially called a"fantasy," issued a decree restricting entry of foreign visitors at land borders with Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. On Wednesday, Brazil began turning away Venezuelans at the border.