Corona chaos in Brazil: Bolsonaro downplayed and railed against the WHO

Coronavirus in Brazil: is the country about to collapse? Resentment against Jair Bolsonaro is growing. The Catholic Church starts an unusual action.

• Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro still doesn't think much of measures against the coronavirus * .
• The virus is spreading rapidly in the largest country in South America - over 116,000 people are already infected.
• 7966 people have already died as a result of the pandemic. It will probably not stop there.

Rio de Janeiro - The coronavirus * has also arrived in Brazil for a little more than two months and has determined everyday life there since then. On February 26, one person tested positive for the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen for the first time , since then there have been new numbers of horrors every day. 

Clinics and cemeteries are reaching their limits not only because of the increasing number of infections , but also because of mismanagement. The system in Brazil is currently collapsing - also because President Jair Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the problem in recent weeks  .

Corona in Brazil: Population protests are increasing - violent accusations against WHO

The head of state does not seem to think much of measures to contain the virus and calls for a return to normal. There was a bang in mid-April when Bolsonaro dismissed his health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta after an argument over how to deal with the pandemic. Mandetta had called for a stricter line of protection against infection *. The dismissal caused protests in parts of the population , and resentment against the president is growing. 

President Bolsonaro was asked about the new record corona deaths in Brazil today. His answer: "Yes and? I'm sorry. But what should I do? I'm Messiah (his middle name), but don't do miracles." https://t.co/uwMxT7Ewsa

But Bolsonaro just seems to want to continue swimming against the tide and questioned the World Health Organization (WHO) with violent and provocative statements. According to Bolsonaro, WHO encouraged young children to homosexuality and masturbation , he wrote on Facebook at the end of April . However, the post was later removed, but the statements had already been made. "This is the World Health Organization, and I believe some people will follow its recommendations for the coronavirus *," said the president. Without providing any evidence to support his claims, Bolsonaro claimed  the organization recommends “early childhood masturbation” and “same-sex relationships”.

Brazil's head of state attacks @WHO amid the #Corona crisis. #Bolsonaro claims the World Health Organization encourages young children to homosexuality and masturbation. https://t.co/8dfoUIQubJ

Corona in Brazil: Bolsonaro attacks WHO with questionable means - and rejects distance

Bolsonaro probably used the basis for the statements in the framework concept "Standards for Sexual Education in Europe" published in 2010 by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) Sex education of children and adolescents there. The statements are related to Bolsonaro's position in the corona crisis *, he rejects the guidelines recommended by the WHO for social distancing .

The governors, however, determine the exit restrictions. In Rio de Janeiro, for example, there is a restriction until May 11, in which schools , universities and cultural centers remain closed.

Corona in Brazil: Ninth most affected country

Since Monday, residents of the largest Latin American country should be even more aware that strict measures are needed. Because the number of infections broke a worrying mark and is now over 100,000 . The Ministry of Health in Brasilia stated this for the first time, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the number of people who tested positive is  116,299 (as of May 6, 3:30 p.m.). This puts Brazil in ninth place in a global comparison of absolute numbers, making it one of the most severely affected countries in the world by the virus.

However, the unreported number of infected people is likely to be much higher, as results from the laboratories are pending and the test capacities are extremely limited. As of May 6, 7966 deaths related to the novel virus * have been confirmed. 

Corona in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and the Church send an important signal

In Rio de Janeiro  , a mask requirement applies in public spaces * , which applies particularly to shops and public transport, but only a few people with masks can be seen on the streets. Rio's Mayor Marcelo Crivella and Governor of the State Wilson Witzel are committed to implementing the restrictions. Bolsonaro , who refused to give the results of his corona test, shows himself almost without a mask in public almost every day and intensifies the protest of the action critics in Brazil .

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro flies the flag - few Brazilians wear face masks

© AFP / MAURO PIMENTEL

The 710-meter-high statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, which attracts two million visitors every year due to its symbolic character, now looks down on the city with a face mask. The statue is the property of the Catholic Church.

Warning from the highest place: The Christ statue above Rio de Janeiro is illuminated with a mouthguard to remind people to protect themselves in the Corona crisis. https://t.co/spUOgTHTyr pic.twitter.com/uq7EGFDBly

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

List of rubric lists: © dpa / Eraldo Peres