RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The British daily The Independent has placed Brazil at the top of a list of countries to be avoided due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“While lockdown restrictions are gradually lifting in many countries, the coronavirus is continuing to wreak havoc around the globe,” says an excerpt from the report, adding that there have been more than eight million confirmed Covid-19 cases in 188 countries, killing 440,000 people.
The newspaper points out that Brazil is facing a major health crisis and is the country with the second-highest number of deaths in the world, with a recent daily average of a thousand fatalities.
“On June 12th, the government interrupted the disclosure of data on cases and deaths from Covid-19, leading to widespread denunciations and accusations of censorship and totalitarianism. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro consistently downplayed the risks of coronavirus, describing the virus as a ‘minor flu,’ disregarding isolation measures and even criticizing the governors for imposing regional quarantine measures,” it said.
In addition to Brazil, the newspaper names Russia, India, China, Iran, the United States, Pakistan, and South Africa on the list of places to be avoided.
Source: UOL