SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil was due to top 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday as the virus continues to plague Latin America’s largest country, even as cities reopen bars, restaurants and gyms, raising fears that infections continue to increase.
Workers handle a coffin in the warehouse of the Rio Pax funeral company, in the midst of the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 3, 2020. REUTERS / Pilar Olivares
Brazil has the second largest outbreak in the world after the United States, and the virus has killed more than 60,000 people in the country.
In Rio de Janeiro, crowds gathered to drink on the sidewalk of an upscale beachside neighborhood on Thursday night, the city’s first nightclubs were allowed to reopen.
Images of the spree in Leblon, where few wore face masks and people huddled together, went viral on social media, sparking condemnation and concern.
“An announced tragedy,” David Miranda, a federal congressman from Rio, wrote on Twitter about a photo of the crowded sidewalk. He criticized the mayor of the city, Marcelo Crivella.
“Crivella’s decision to open the doors of business will have a high cost,” he added.
In an emailed statement, Crivella’s office said local police had asked several establishments to close Thursday because public health regulations prohibit the gathering of crowds who drink outside of bars. He said the application would be increased over the weekend.
In Rio alone, more than 6,600 people have died from COVID-19 in the past four months. Only 14 countries in the world have a higher death toll than the city. The intensive care units in public hospitals have a capacity of 70%.
Sao Paulo, the largest and most affected city in Brazil, is expected to open bars and restaurants next week.
President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticized by health experts for minimizing the severity of the virus, which he has called “a little flu.” Bolsonaro has lobbied governors and mayors for months to reverse blockade measures and reopen the economy.
Bolsonaro on Friday vetoed parts of a law that would have made the use of a face mask mandatory in confined spaces where large groups gather, such as churches and schools.
Bolsonaro has regularly violated the guidelines for social distancing recommended by most health experts, shaking hands and hugging supporters. He publicly said that his past as an athlete makes him immune to the worst symptoms of the virus.
Report by Stephen Eisenhammer; Alistair Bell and Chizu Nomiyama Edition
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