Coronavirus Brazil: Bolsonaro Protesters Rise Amid Anti-COVID Efforts

Brazil continues to grapple with mounting deaths and new confirmed coronavirus cases but protests against anti-coronavirus efforts are threatening hopes for a quick recovery.

Protests Explode in Sao Paulo

State Police in Sao Paulo revealed that there were around a thousand people who sparked a rally from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art towards the Paraiso neighborhood both in support of and against local government efforts to stop COVID-19 from spreading in Brazil.

There were social groups and soccer fans who attended the rallies. While the groups were a mixture of President Jair Bolsonaro and those who were against his beliefs and handling of the coronavirus situation, only a few were allowed to take part in the protests.

The State Police further noted that an agreement under the Sao Paulo Prosecutor's Office allowed only around a hundred pro-Bolsonaro groups to protest at downtown Cha.

Anti and pro Bolsonaro government entities have been clashing since the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil started but things have started getting out of hand as deaths in the country continue to rise and infections are still in thousands.

As of Sunday, Brazil logged a total of 867,882 confirmed coronavirus cases and 43,389 fatalities from the fast-spreading disease.

Sao Paulo Remains Epicenter of Brazil's Crisis

As protests continue to roll across Sao Paulo, the state remains the hardest-hit in all of Brazil. The state, which has around 21 million people in population, logged over 178,000 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday.

Sao Paulo has also crossed the 10,000-mark in deaths linked to the novel coronavirus. It has yet to record significant declines in both deaths and daily new infections.

The local government also confirmed over the weekend that it will exhume bodies buried three years as more deaths are recorded and there is inadequate space at the cemetery for those who succumbed to COVID-19.

Experts Call Out Bolsonaro's Coronavirus Beliefs

Due to the rising tensions among the masses and politicians in the country, health experts have called out Bolsonaro for his public remarks in favor of unproven COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine.

Experts said Bolsonaro's continuous promotion of unproven coronavirus remedies may be adding to the health issues that other countries have either already controlled or at least reduced to a dramatic rate.

While both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are anti-malaria drugs that are being studied as potential treatments for coronavirus patients, no official study has proven that the said drugs are a hundred percent effective against the virus.

Furthermore, Bolsonaro has publicly condemned local governments that shut down the economy or implemented lockdowns. The Brazilian president said lockdowns do not help in the country's economic recovery.

Treasury Secretary Confirms Plan to Step Down

Amid all the trouble that the Bolsonaro administration has been dealing with, Brazilian treasury secretary Mansueto Almeida confirmed earlier reports that he was planning to leave his position.

"I'm tired and soon there will be new discussions of fiscal adjustment after the COVID pandemic," Almeida was quoted to have said in the interview.

Almeida further said in the interview published Sunday that his resignation may come sometime next month or August. His confirmation came after earlier news revealed information from a government source stating Almeida's upcoming resignation.

Almeida, who also served in the Brazilian government under President Michel Temer, was also quoted to have said he is not planning to work in the public sector. It is unclear what Almeida will do moving forward if his resignation takes place.