Social distancing goes for a toss as Brazil prez rallies with supporters amid virus surge

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets along with his supporters for a rally on May 25. Even though he reportedly arrived with a white facemask on, it was soon removed to greet the cheering crowd. Moreover, the people at the rally did not adhere to the social distancing rules and Bolsonaro was spotted shaking hands and embracing some supporters. At one instance, according to reports, the Brazilian President hoisted a young boy on his shoulders.

The people at the rally held placards that read "Legend!" and "The people support you, Bolsonaro!". Though the far-right leader has acquired the support of at least 30 per cent of voters, Bolsonaro has been criticised for his response to COVID-19 pandemic even after the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently noted that Brazil has become the new hotspot of the coronavirus outbreak. Bolsonaro has also been accused of political interference in ongoing investigations and the ongoing controversy about hindering justice to protect his own family from police investigations.

Bolsonaro has not only dismissed all early alarms of the coronavirus outbreak as ‘little-flu’ but recently he also claimed that he has kept a box of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine at his house for 94-year-old mother. This is despite frequent warnings by health professionals that the anti-viral drug is not beneficial for coronavirus patients and have advised against the usage. 

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'South America new epicentre of COVID-19'

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that South America has become an “epicentre” of the COVID-19 pandemic as Brazil surpassed Russia's coronavirus infection and became a second-most affected country in the world. While the global infections have surpassed 5.3 million, there have been significant spikes in the COVID-19 cases in Central as well as South America. 

This week, as more and more countries claim to have contained the unprecedented outbreak of deadly coronavirus, Brazil became the latest flashpoint and has now recorded 22,013  deaths along with 347,398 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

According to reports, most infections in Brazil are concentrated in Sao Paulo. However, the highest rate of infection remains in the state of Amazonas where Mike Ryan revealed that 490 people in every 100,000 were COVID-19 positive. He even noted that the situation is alarming in most of the countries in the region but Brazil remains “most affected”.

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Image Source: AP