An increasing number of Brazilians are leaving their homes and dismissing social distancing guidelines in a move many regional government leaders say is being encouraged by President Jair Bolsonaro.
Last month, Bolsonaro said the economic hardship caused by self-quarantine measures are absurd because"we're all going to die one day." Bolsonaro's critics say his frequent appearances among crowds in Brasilia and visits to his son's residential building are undermining social distancing guidelines in the country's largest cities.
Bolsonaro made public appearances at a military hospital and stopped at a pharmacy on Friday, which is a national holiday in Brazil. The president, who is often compared to his American counterpart in President Donald Trump, was greeted at the very public stops by both supporters and angry critics with pots and pans who have ridiculed his flaunting of the social distancing orders.
"Social isolation fell significantly in the past two to three days and that makes our challenge harder," Patricia Ellen, state secretary for economic development, told Reuters Saturday."We are concerned."
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brazil lockdowns, attacked by Bolsonaro, begin to slipLockdowns in Brazil's largest cities to slow the coronavirus outbreak are beginning to slip, according to new data this week seen and analyzed by Reuters, with more people leaving their homes as President Jair Bolsonaro continues to criticize the measures.
Read more »
Brazil 'Ghostbuster' deep cleans favela streets to fight coronavirusWhen coronavirus hit and tourists stopped coming to Thiago Firmino's Rio de Janeiro favela tour, he decided to act. Unwilling to wait for officials to react, he donned a white suit and set about disinfecting the streets of the Santa Marta slum.
Read more »
Brazil minister resists calls for wider use of hydroxychloroquineOn the day he nearly lost his job for supporting strict social distancing measures, Brazil's health minister took another stand in defiance of President Jair Bolsonaro, refusing to endorse the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat the novel coronavirus.
Read more »
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Slights Social Distancing As Coronavirus Deaths Hit 1,000President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for not taking the pandemic seriously.
Read more »
Brazil's Bolsonaro hits the streets in latest social distancing snubBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says the isolation measures mandated by state governors and his own public health officials are an unnecessary drag on the economy.
Read more »
Brazil's Bolsonaro hits the streets in latest social distancing snubBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets of Brasilia on Friday, drawing crowds and greeting followers in his latest public attack on social isolation measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Read more »