Brazil cannot take ‘months of isolation,’ warns President Bolsonaro

Brazilian society will not be able to withstand two or three months of shutdowns to fight the new coronavirus, President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday, denouncing social distancing measures enforced by states and municipalities across the country.

“You know my stance. It will bring massive unemployment,” he told supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasilia.

Health Ministry figures released on Thursday showed that the number of deaths jumped 23 percent from the previous day to 299 and the number of confirmed cases rose by 15 percent to 7,910, Reuters reports.