Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro once again defied his own government’s recommendations on social distancing to mingle with supporters on the street, as COVID-19 deaths and cases continue to soar in the country.
During an excursion on Saturday to Cristalina, 150 km from Brasilia, Bolsonaro departed from the official program to visit several shops, shake hands with supporters and pose for photos – all in contravention of the recommendations of the Health Ministry, according to the reports.
On Friday, Bolsonaro said that he would like all the citizens to return to work amid an ongoing lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The right-wing leader said he was sure that Brazil would “return to normalcy” soon, even though the pandemic has aggravated in the country and according to estimates by the health ministry, would peak after a few weeks.
On Wednesday, the Health Ministry warned that the virus was relentlessly advancing in the country, but the President insisted on underestimating the severity of the epidemic, the peak of which is expected to arrive between May and June.
Earlier this week, responding to a question about the COVID-19 fatalities, the President said: “And so? I lament it, but what do you want me to do?”
The President’s anger has focused mainly on Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria, and Rio de Janeiro governor Wilson Witzel, who are at the forefront of the regions hardest hit by the coronavirus and have decreed “soft” quarantines in their territories.
The COVID-19 death toll in Brazil increased by 421 to 6,750, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
With an additional 4,970 cases confirmed over the last 24 hours, the overall number of infections in the country stood at 96,599.
As the crisis deepens, some cities in the state of Maranhao are set to be the first to adopt a complete lockdown from May 5.