Bolsonaro dragging Brazil towards coronavirus calamity, experts fear
Concerns grow that by downplaying threat, Brazils president risks public health crisis
Tom Phillips and Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
Sun 12 Apr 2020 11.24 EDT
Medical experts have said they fear that Brazils president, Jair Bolsonaro, could be hastening the countrys march towards a devastating public health crisis like those to have hit northern Italy and New York by undermining social distancing measures.
Bolsonaro is one of just four world leaders still downplaying the threat of coronavirus to public health, alongside the authoritarian presidents of Nicaragua, Belarus and Turkmenistan.
Over Easter, Brazils far-right leader repeatedly sniffed at his own health ministrys distancing recommendations by going out for doughnuts, glad-handing fans and proclaiming: No one will hinder my right to come and go. During one outing, Bolsonaro was filmed wiping his nose with his wrist before shaking an elderly ladys hand.
Specialists in public health and infectious diseases believe such behaviour is eroding the only measures standing between Brazil which has suffered more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths and a healthcare calamity.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/12/bolsonaro-dragging-brazil-towards-coronavirus-calamity-experts-fear