As he pulls a Trump and COVID-19 deaths begin to spiral out of control...
Brazil's President Bolsonaro: " I don't want to lock down, I don't want to social distance.... let's get back to work"
Brazil records its worst daily death toll from coronavirus
Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN)Brazil has recorded its highest
daily number of coronavirus deaths and cases, one day after it became the country with the third-highest number of
confirmed cases in the world.
The Latin American country confirmed a record of 1,179 deaths and 17,408 new infections on Tuesday, its health ministry announced Tuesday, raising overall deaths since the start of the outbreak to 17,971, and 271,628 cases.
Sao Paulo state alone reported a record number of deaths on Tuesday, with 324 deaths in the past 24 hours.
When asked about Brazil's skyrocketing numbers, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was mulling on a travel ban on Brazil.
"We are considering it," Trump said, adding: "We hope that we're not going to have a problem. The governor of Florida is doing very, very well testing -- in particular Florida, because a big majority come in to Florida. Brazil has gone more or less herd, and they're having problems.
"I worry about everything, I don't want people coming in here and infecting our people," Trump said, "I don't want people over there sick either."
Amid the spiraling health crisis, Brazil's lower house of Congress approved a proposed law, which would make use the use of personal protection masks in public spaces mandatory.
The proposed law would require people to wear any form of face covering in areas that are accessible to the public, including parks, sidewalks, public transportation and even private buildings where there is a high level of foot traffic. Individuals not wearing masks would be fined up to $52.
The proposal needs approval by the Senate and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who rarely wears facial coverings. It is unclear when the Senate vote will happen.
Health system on the brink
Brazil's alarming numbers come days after Sao Paulo's mayor warned that its health system could be overwhelmed very soon if residents don't follow social distancing guidelines. Officials in the major city of 12 million have declared a five-day holiday in a bid to get residents to stay home.
By Monday, Brazil achieved the grim record of having the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, behind the United States and Russia.
Doctors and nurses work in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the Emilio Ribas Institute of Infectious Disease hospital in Sao Paulo.
Yet Bolsonaro continues to dismiss the threat of the virus, saying quarantines and lockdowns could have a worse impact on Brazil's economy.
He has repeatedly dismissed Covid-19 as a "little flu" and urged businesses to reopen, even as many governors scramble to implement social isolation measures and slow the spread.
The country lost its second health minister in a month last week. Nelson Teich stepped down after clashing with Bolsonaro over the country's coronavirus strategy. In April, Bolsonaro fired his predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, after a prolonged standoff.
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Brazil hit a record high for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, after becoming the country with the third-highest number of confirmed cases in the world earlier this week. The country's health ministry reported 19,951 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 291,579 confirmed...
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So on top of COVID, folks have to worry about identity theft and fraud alerts. What's worse is the breach happened the 15th and they just now telling people.
