Brazil rising COVID-19 Hot-Spot

On Sunday, protests continued in Brazil for the country to reopen. The President supporters actively voice concerns of jobs and the economy, yet the country has become the fourth-largest outbreak. Amongst protestors was President Jair Bolsonaro.

The President actively maintains his position of re-opening the country and often joins protesters taking selfies and entering pushup competitions. Yet, as numbers increase, it is reported that Brazil has now surpassed both Italy and Spain, becoming a new hot spot for COVID-19.

With prioritizing the economy, the President’s position has resulted in losing his second health minister that advised the country to maintain lockdown measures.

On April 25,  The Guardian stated, “at least 18 people have reportedly lost their lives to COVD-19 in Rio’s favelas, which house about 20% of the city’s 6.7 million residents.” Favelas in Rio de Janeiro often have unstable living conditions with limited resources, and this makes stay-at-home orders difficult. Amongst those in slums are communities of African descent that often face inadequate support and similar issues of police violence.

As communities in favelas take safety measures, many community leaders work to support individuals and families by providing food and health sanitation kits.

The country has over 254,000 cases reported with over 16,000 deaths. Beyond current protest, a May 12 opinion poll, indicates two-thirds of Brazilians agree with lockdown measures and social distancing called by governors and health experts.