Brazil’s Health Minister says Bolsonaro’s anti-mask stance is aimed at promting research

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga downplayed President Jair Bolsonaro’s request – amidst the current upsurge of the pandemic – to produce an opinion evaluating the possibility of relaxing mask use in Brazil. According to Queiroga, Bolsonaro’s stance aims to “spur” Brazilian researchers.

“The president wants to encourage research in all areas. When the president, very efficiently, draws attention to this point about masks, what he is trying to do is to draw society’s attention so that the investigative spirit of our researchers is encouraged,” declared the Minister. However, he stressed that the use of masks is still important at this time. Only yesterday, Brazil registered 2,344 Covid deaths and surpassed the 480,000 fatalities mark by the disease.

Earlier, Queiroga confirmed that he will meet the president’s demand for the study. Yesterday, Bolsonaro said that he asked the Ministry for an opinion freeing people vaccinated or who have already been infected by Covid-19 from wearing masks. The idea was harshly criticized by experts, since immunization, despite preventing a severe form of the coronavirus, does not prevent its transmission, still high in the country. Moreover, only 11.06% of the Brazilian population have been administered the second dose of the vaccine, and there are proven cases of re-infection.

Queiroga described Bolsonaro as an “excellent communicator” and assured that the leader of the Presidential Palace is “excited” about the vaccination campaign against Covid-19. However, the president this week once again questioned the efficacy of immunizers.

The use of masks has been relaxed in countries like the United States, where vaccination is advanced, unlike Brazil. The country now exceeds 50% of its population vaccinated with the first dose, which allowed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to relax pandemic control measures.

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