Brazil Death Toll Deepens Divide Between Lockdowns, Restarts
Brazil Deathtoll Deepens Divide Between Lockdowns, Restarts
(Bloomberg) -- Conversations about easing social distancing measures in Brazil are being overshadowed by new hotspots emerging in the north, prompting city and state leaders to push through the nation’s toughest restrictions yet.
Belem, Fortaleza and Sao Luis -- the capital cities of Brazil’s Para, Ceara and Maranhao states, respectively -- announced strict lockdowns this week as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of waning. The steps, including mandatory face masks and road closures, come as Brazil’s death toll surpasses 8,500, with more than 125,000 people infected.
A line is being drawn between Brazil’s wealthier states and those whose residents can’t easily isolate or quarantine in tightly packed communities. More than 40% of the population in Para, Ceara and Maranhao live in poverty, and public health-care systems are reportedly nearing collapse as cases snowball.
Meanwhile, the industrialized Santa Catarina state and crop-rich Mato Grosso do Sul are reopening malls, gyms and churches. Sao Paulo, which accounts for 30% of national gross domestic product, may be the exception to the trend: Governor Joao Doria is expected to announce on Friday whether the state will extend or ease partial lockdowns expiring in coming days as the virus invades poor neighborhoods.
The uneven response among states speaks to a federal response that’s been scatter-shot and, at times contradictory. President Jair Bolsonaro’s push to reopen the economy, coupled with little direction from the Health Ministry, leaves states and city officials dictating their own terms on social distancing. Geolocation data and fuel sales suggest people are emerging from isolation at home after more than a month of loosely enforced quarantine and lockdown orders.
The new, tougher restrictions, are coming too late in some places.
The country reported record daily death tolls on Tuesday and Wednesday with about 600 fatalities every 24 hours, and cases have nearly tripled in two weeks to 125,218. The region that’s home to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states accounts for almost 50% of infections, followed by the Northeast with 31% and North with 16% of the cases.
On Thursday, Bolsonaro and cabinet members including Economy Minister Paulo Guedes made an unscheduled visit to the nation’s Supreme Court in a plea to ease measures.
“The economy is beginning to collapse,” Guedes said. “What good is it protecting the population if in 30 days the lights go out, the food is gone and the industry stops? Businessmen are saying we could see products start vanishing from the shelves.”
As nations around the world struggle to find the right balance between business and health, a political crisis and an already anemic economy are adding to the troubled time in Brazil. Data have begun to show just how big an economic hit the country will take. Industrial production sank 9% in March, air travel plunged and retailers are gearing up for a record decline in Mother’s Day sales. Forecasts show GDP contracting as much as 7% this year.
Health Minister Nelson Teich, said on Wednesday the ministry may recommend lockdowns in specific locations. Teich has avoided taking a firm stance on social distancing -- a frequent source of clashes between Bolsonaro and his previous health minister, who he fired in April -- often saying it’s not a political issue nor a “for or against” matter.
“Every location has its needs. We’ll map out how many new cases, what’s the infrastructure, how things are evolving, and from there we make a decision,” Teich said at a press conference in Brasilia. “There’ll be areas where we’ll recommend a lockdown, and other situations may allow for some easing.”
In the state of Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the country’s pandemic, not enough people are staying home as is, indicating it’s still too early to ease restrictions, Doria said Wednesday. This week, it made the use of masks mandatory, with penalties that include heavy fines and even jail time. The state’s capital city announced restrictions on car circulation starting Monday.
Restrictions in Rio de Janeiro, home to several of Brazil’s biggest companies, are due to end on Monday. Marcelo Crivella, the mayor of the state’s capital city, announced he’s ordered a partial lockdown in some neighborhoods starting Thursday amid reports of large gatherings. Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, one of Brazil’s leading public health research institutions, called for the state to implement tougher measures and lockdowns “urgently,” saying its the health system could collapse this month.
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