Bolsonaro: R$60 Billion for Governors to Fight Novel Coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro discussed the granting of R$60 billion (US$10 billion) in financial aid to states for the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, at a video conference meeting with the 27 state governors on Thursday, May 21st.

The meeting was also attended by Ministers, the Presidents of the Federal Chamber, Rodrigo Maia, and the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre.

The President needs to sanction the bill releasing the funds, and the first installment is expected to be released by May 30th.

The initiative also seems to have lessened the ongoing clashes between the President and the Governor of São Paulo.

Doria considered the meeting an historic event and praised its tone of peace, harmony, and understanding. “In war, everyone loses, particularly the most impoverished and humble. The meeting was a demonstration of wisdom, common sense, and balance of everyone participating,” he said.

In addition to the funds, the allocation of which is not yet clear, it had been agreed the day before in a talk between Doria and the interim Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, that the 1,800 ICU beds requested by the State government will be confirmed by May 26th.

The Ministry also pledged to deliver 600 ventilators to the capital, metropolitan region, and the city of Santos by early next week.

The State of São Paulo counted 73,739 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday – 3,880 recorded in the last 24 hours – an increase of 5.55 percent over the preceding day.

Concerning the death toll, the State reached 5,558 – 195 more than on Wednesday, an increase of 3.63 percent.

The occupancy rate of ICU beds in the State stands at 73 percent, with 4,224 suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients hospitalized. Another 6,467 remain in wards. In Greater São Paulo, the ICU occupancy rate is at 89.6 percent.

In the Ibirapuera Field Hospital (south zone), 155 people remain hospitalized, while 14,669 patients have been discharged from State Hospitals and are now cured.

Source: Folhapress