Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that he might have contracted the novel coronavirus previously and he may do another test for the disease, having already tested negative for the virus multiple times weeks earlier. 

Bolsonaro had said he tested negative twice but fought a court battle to stop the release of the hospital test results, raising questions over whether he may have been infected or not.

In late April, Bolsonaro was determined to restart the economy and wanted lockdowns imposed at state level to be lifted despite warnings against it. 

On April 20, he called for an end to the coronavirus quarantine. "There is no way the people can stay at home with an empty refrigerator," said Bolsonaro. 

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The Brazilian president has repeatedly dismissed the coronavirus as a "little cold" and urged residents to keep the country's economy going, rejecting calls to implement a nationwide lockdown.  

In an apparent attempt to justify his reluctance to take drastic measures, he even went so far as to say "we're all going to die one day." 

In March, the 64-year-old confirmed his negative test result for COVID-19 via Twitter, dispelling fears that he may have contacted the virus.

(With input from agencies)