Coronavirus: in Brazil, President Bolsonaro persists in denial

Despite the understatement of the Brazilian president, several states like that of Sao Paulo, have taken restrictive measures to curb the epidemic of coronavirus. NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Jair Bolsonaro denounced Tuesday the containment measures ordered by different states and municipalities in his country against the Covid-19. According to the Brazilian head of state, they threaten to ruin the country.

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While nearly a third of humanity is now called upon to confine itself, the Brazilian president continues to minimize the risks linked to the coronavirus pandemic, which he describes as " small flu ".

In a speech broadcast on radio and television, Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday denounced the media " hysteria " about the disease and called on local authorities to abandon the measures taken to try to stop its spread. " The authorities of certain states and municipalities must give up the concept of scorched earth: the ban on transport, the closing of shops and mass containment ," said the Brazilian head of state. " We must maintain jobs and preserve the supply of families, " he added.

Restrictive measures adopted in several states

In the face of the epidemic, which has already killed 46 people in Brazil and nearly 19,000 people worldwide, several states and cities in the country have adopted measures to close down companies and public services and to contain the population, in particular l 'State of Sao Paulo, the richest in Brazil. Jair Bolsonaro fears that these measures will ruin the country.

“ The risk group is that of people over 60. So why close the schools? Asked Jair Bolsonaro. According to him, Brazil is immune to the epidemic thanks to its warm climate and its young population.

(with AFP)

Read also: Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro declares the coronavirus "public calamity"

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  • Brazil
  • Coronavirus
  • Jair Bolsonaro
  • Health and Medicine

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