RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil’s hospitals are faltering as a highly contagious coronavirus variant tears through the country, the president insists on unproven treatments and the only attempt to create a national plan to contain COVID-19 has just fallen short.
For the last week, Brazilian governors sought to do something President Jair Bolsonaro obstinately rejects: cobble together a proposal for states to help curb the nation’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreak yet.
The effort was expected to include a curfew, prohibition of crowded events and limits on the hours non-essential services can operate.
The final product, presented Wednesday, was a one-page document that included general support for restricting activity but without any specific measures.