Bolsonaro dissociates himself from his own idea of removing obligation to wear masks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, took a step back on Friday from his Thursday announcement to remove the obligatory use of masks for those who are vaccinated or have already been infected, a pronouncement that at the time raised strong criticism and was described as “reckless” by experts.

According to Bolsonaro, this decision will fall exclusively on the Minister of Health, Mauricio Queiroga, and the regional governors because, according to him, it is better not to have a guilty conscience.

“Yesterday, I asked the Minister of Health to do a study on the masks. Those who have already been infected and those who received the vaccine do not need to use masks, but who will decide that is him (the minister) will give his point of view. However, who decides, in the end, is the governor and the mayor”, he assured this Friday while talking to followers outside the Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence.

“Nothing like being at peace with your conscience,” he added.

Bolsonaro announced the request for the study during an event at the Planalto Palace and hours later returned to the subject in his weekly address on social networks. “We cannot live a lifetime with that oppression. If the person was cured or is vaccinated, I see no need. Are we going to be hostages of the mask until when?” he said.

Read also: Brazil’s Health Minister says Bolsonaro’s anti-mask stance is aimed at promoting research

Bolsonaro’s announcement raised strong criticism for the current situation in Brazil, where a third wave of the pandemic is expected in the coming weeks, according to experts. Added to that is the low vaccination rate in the country, where only 11% of its 212 million inhabitants have received full immunization.

For health professionals and infectious disease specialists, removing the masks at this time, when not even half of the population is immunized in Brazil, is “reckless”.

Bolsonaro, one of the few world leaders skeptical of the pandemic, has already been infected with Covid-19 and does not usually wear masks in public events, even if it means fines, as has already happened more than once.

With more than 480,000 deaths and 17 million infections, the country is, together with the United States and India, one of the countries most affected by Covid-19.