Brazil pandemic probe places current, ex-officials "under investigation"

BRASILIA (Reuters) -A pandemic inquiry by the Brazilian Senate has placed Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga, former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello and ex-Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo "under investigation", senator Renan Calheiros, the sponsor of this investigation, said in a press conference on Friday.

Brazilian senators are conducting an inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and whether he deliberately delayed securing timely supplies of vaccines. Nearly 500,000 people have died from COVID-19 here.

(Reporting by Lisandra ParaguassuEditing by Chizu Nomiyama)