RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro stressed that “virus and unemployment issues cannot be addressed separately” in Brazil and advocated relaxing quarantine rules. According to the president, if from next week “people do not start returning to work, I will have to make a decision”.
Among the alternatives, Bolsonaro suggested “the stroke of his pen” to allow businesses to return to their activities, which, according to the President, “took a blow with the measures adopted by a number of governors”.
“I have a draft decree ready to be signed, if necessary, which considers all that is required to take bread home every day as an essential activity,” the President said.
According to the President, “until the Supreme Court or Legislature suspend the effects of my decree, trade will be opened. That is how it works”. Bolsonaro said he has not set up a Ministry “glued” to the Legislative and ruled out military action to reopen trade.
The President again called on governors and mayors to revise their positions regarding isolation. “It would be more prudent to open trade gradually as of next week,” the President said.
Bolsonaro argued that isolation policies could lead to an increase in the number of deaths due to quarantine policies. “When you isolate and lead people to unemployment, along with unemployment comes malnutrition, the body becomes more debilitated. People will be more prone to contracting a virus – this very one, the coronavirus – which will have an even greater mortality rate,” the President said.
“There is a huge difference between dying from a virus and a larger portion dying from hunger, depression and suicide,” he said.