Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The far-right president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, made a live broadcast this Saturday in which it again criticized the quarantine measures to contain the COVID-19 and asked the population not to fear the new coronavirus.
“You shouldn’t flinch with that virus, you have to face it with an upright head, God is with us,” he shouted. Bolsonaro to a demonstration of religious faithful against abortion that crowded in front of the Palacio del Planalto in Brasilia.
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In the video, broadcast live on the Facebook of Bolsonaro, the president again attacked the governors and mayors who defend the quarantine and social distancing and criticized Congress and the press.
With another 206 deaths registered in the last 24 hours, Brazil adds 2,347 deaths and 36,599 cases of coronavirus.
Bolsonaro describes the coronavirus as “influenza”
Bolsonaro describes as a “flu” the virus that has already killed more than 150,000 people worldwide and dismissed on Thursday its Health Minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who defended social distancing to contain the contagion in this country of more than 210 million inhabitants and with high indices of social inequality.
“What we hear the most are people who want to return to normality. From the beginning I said that we had two problems, the virus and unemployment (…) I am not defending the economy, I am defending jobs (…) is it possible to understand that the consequences of unemployment is what is going to kill people? “Bolsonaro said in his broadcast.
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Although he recognized that he cannot force governors and mayors to suspend the quarantine, he said: “as far as it is up to me, we are going to begin to relax and show that this is not the way.”
The president also referred to the paralysis of Brazilian soccer and urged to discuss the return of sports activities.
In parallel, a caravan traveled through noble neighborhoods of Sao Paulo questioning the confinement.
“I think most of them already want to start going back to normal life,” he said. Bolsonaro.
Quarantine in Brazil
Although the majority of Brazilians (68%) defend the quarantineDespite its impact on the economy, according to a survey by pollster Datafolha published this Saturday, the measure loses support. In early April, another study by that company found that 76% were in favor of staying home.
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The survey also shows that 79% of Brazilians defend verbal punishment (43%), with fines (33%) and imprisonment (3%) for violating the measures of quarantine.
Former Minister Mandetta, replaced by oncologist Nelson Teich, said last week that Brazil will face its peak of cases between May and June.
Sao Paulo, epicenter of the disease in Brazil with 991 deaths and 13,894 cases, it extended until May 10 its quarantine Partial that limits activities to businesses considered essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, among others.
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