President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil joined protesters on Sunday, to enthusiastically demand for lifting lockdown in Brazil. – By Gerald Gekara.
Bolsonaro demanded an end to business shutdowns and quarantine guidelines imposed by governors around the country.
Leaders in those branches of government have been highly critical of Mr. Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and broadly agree that quarantine measures are necessary to avert a public health calamity.
The president has played down the threat the virus poses to Brazilians and argues that the restrictions imposed in mid-March by most governors stand to be far more damaging to people’s livelihoods and their health than the virus.
Last week, Mr. Bolsonaro fired his health minister, who had defended strict social isolation measures to prevent the health system from being overwhelmed by an influx of patients with Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
