“Brazil’s Health System Will Collapse In April,” Says Minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said on Friday, March 20th, that the exponential curve for the spread of the novel coronavirus in Brazil is not expected to see a “sharp drop” before September.

The statement was given by Mandetta during a videoconference between President Jair Bolsonaro and entrepreneurs.

“In the western world, where information is more reliable […], it is noted that the virus has a transmission pattern, [that] it is very competent,” the Minister said.

“São Paulo is starting its transmission spiral. We expect it to pick up speed and rise in the next few weeks, ten days. We should begin April with a fast climb, that’s going to last the months of April, May, June when it’s going to start to slow down. July should see the start of the plateau. In August the plateau will be starting to show a downward trend and then the drop in September is deep, just like that of March in China”, he concluded.

The Minister further said that according to current projections, the Brazilian health system is expected to collapse in April. In order to prevent this, the government may be forced to “stop the movement” of people to try to slow down the transmission.

“What is collapse? You can have money, a health plan, but there is simply no health system for you to access,” he explained.