Brazil 'on brink of recession thanks to Covid-19
July 12, 2020 22:59
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Brazil is on the brink of recession as the economy feels the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Millions of jobs destroyed, tens of millions of people in the informality without income and a country on the brink of recession," Bolsonaro said.
Accusing misinformation for causing widespread panic, Bolsonaro said, "People believed they had only one serious problem to deal with" and warned that the "side effects of fighting the virus could not be worse than the virus itself."
Bolsonaro said the situation could have been even worse had it not been for the action of the federal government which provided "emergency aid for more than 60 million people" and distributed resources.
He also asked families to "depoliticise from the pandemic and added, "It won't be easy, but we'll have to start over."
In April, the Brazilian government offered emergency aid to those without income during the pandemic, initially offering R200 a month (US $40) but after criticism from Congress, it was increased to R600 (US $120). This government assistance was initially to be paid for three months but last month was extended another two months.
Bolsonaro announced he tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday and has since been working remotely from Alvorada Palace, his official residence. The first lady announced Saturday that she and her two daughters tested negative.
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