RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro yesterday stated that no country in the world has preserved lives and jobs like Brazil without spreading panic among the population during the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
On his Twitter feed Bolsonaro wrote “No country in the world has done like Brazil. We preserve lives and jobs without spreading panic, which also leads to depression and death.”
He added that “fighting the virus should not have a worse side effect than the virus itself,” stressing criticism of the social distancing measures imposed by regional governments to try to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Bolsonaro’s remarks simply ignore the fact that the country is the second in the world with the highest number of victims and confirmed cases of Covid-19, behind only the United States, remaining a global hotspot of the pandemic in Latin America.
Bolsonaro, 65, has been denying the pandemic’s severity and has been working remotely at the Alvorada Palace, his official residence, since Tuesday after announcing he was infected with the novel coronavirus.
The president is one of the few world leaders who consider Covid-19 a simple “flu” that poses no danger except to the population over 65 or to those suffering from chronic diseases.
As a result, he has always reproached the social isolation measures imposed by state and local authorities since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, which prevent people from going out to “earn a living” and “make Brazil move forward”.
In his message yesterday, Bolsonaro stressed that the central government has established means to preserve jobs and that it is not only dedicated to “delaying contagion,” as some regional leaders have done.
“Our Government has provided everyone with the necessary resources and means. Moreover, we created means to preserve jobs and helped with five [monthly] installments of R$600 to a universe of 60 million informal/invisible workers [service providers not under formal employment]”.
On Monday, the President was again tested for the novel coronavirus, the fourth since the start of the health crisis, and the result was positive.
Although he remains isolated in the Alvorada Palace, Bolsonaro continues to govern and said he feels better after starting treatment with chloroquine, a substance that has not been scientifically proven to be effective against Covid-19 and can have serious side effects.
“For those who oppose hydroxychloroquine, but offer no other alternatives, I regret to inform you that I am feeling very well in its use and with the grace of God I will live even longer,” he assured his followers in the same message posted on social media.