Brazil registered 4,195 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours according to the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass). It is the highest number of deaths in one day since the beginning of the pandemic, which brings the number of dead from the disease in the country to 336,947.
86,979 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total infected by the virus to 13,100,580.
Brazil has also lost almost 6,000 health professionals. The number of deaths among health professionals increased by 25.9% in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to a study that brings together data from Brazilian notaries, 5,798 workers in the sector have died since March of last year in Brazil.
Taking into consideration only the first two months of this year – in comparison to the beginning of 2020, the rate of increase is at 29%. If the trend continues, by the end of the year the country will have lost almost 8,000 healthcare professionals.
Bolsonaro is responsible for the crisis
For 44% of Brazilians, President Jair Bolsonaro is the one most responsible for the severity of the covid-19 crisis in the country. The data was revealed in a PoderData survey undertaken between March 29th and 31st, with a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.
The study also shows that 23% of the population credits the health chaos to people who break safety rules recommended by experts, while 16% blame the governors of their state.
Another 8% consider that local mayors are responsible for the current crisis, 4% say that the Ministry of Health is to blame, and 5% chose the category “others” to pinpoint the culprits.
The survey spoke to 3,500 people in 541 municipalities in the nation’s 26 states, as well as the Federal District (Brasilia). The study also segments those interviewed who consider that Bolsonaro is to blame for the crisis.
Among women, 51% are part of this group, while the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who fit the category is 60%. 59% of residents in Brazil’s northern region also believe the president is to blame, as well as 53% of people with higher education, and 61% workers who get paid between two and five minimum wages.
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Those who least lay the blame on the President of the Republic are: men (36%), adults aged between 25 and 44 years (35%), residents of the Midwest and Northeast regions (38%), people with only elementary education (36%) and workers with an income of up to two minimum wages (37%).
When the survey is stratified to consider supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro, it was found that only 7% believe that he is the main culprit for the crisis.
Another 38% say that the responsibility lies with people who do not follow health rules and 35% of respondents blame the governors of their states. Among Brazilians who reject the president, 71% consider him as the main culprit.
Edited by: Leandro Melito