Covid-19: Brazil’s president rallies supporters against social distancing

Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has fired his popular health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, after weeks of conflicting messages from the two men about the risks associated with the covid-19 pandemic and what should be done about them.

Mandetta has supported state governors, most of whom have closed non-essential businesses and urged citizens to stay indoors, while Bolsonaro has argued that “the real problem is hysteria” and urged Brazilians to continue life as normal while making a point of greeting crowds of supporters and shaking hands.

Bolsonaro, who had earlier told an interviewer that Mandetta “lacked humility” and said that he would fire officials who were “full of themselves,” replaced Mandetta with the oncologist and entrepreneur Nelson Teich.

A recent poll showed 76% support for Mandetta’s handling of the crisis, while only 39% backed Bolsonaro’s approach.

In Brazil’s cities, …