Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s President, has been noticed without a mask during his public appearances in Brasilia. He had been incorrectly wearing the mask or had completely skipped wearing it during multiple occasions like at protests, shops and even a floating barbecue. This has been met with contempt and outrage, as he had been repetitively breaking multiple rules that had been put in force after the country’s coronavirus outbreak surged.
Responding to the public outrage, the federal court in Brazil ordered Bolsonaro to rectify his “at best disrespectful” by wearing a mask while stepping out. It has also imposed a daily fine of 2,000 reais (£310), if he continued to flout the rules. Mask-wearing had been made mandatory in the country after the global COVID-19 pandemic onset in April.
The judge who issued this ruling reiterated to the President that he was not above the rules, and that he had to follow them whilst travelling around the capital city of Brasilia. He further cited Brazil’s oath of office in which presidents vow to “uphold, defend and fulfil the constitution, obey the laws [and] promote the wellbeing of the Brazilian people”. Bolsonaro made no comment on this ruling or respond to the criticism on this issue.
Meanwhile, Brazil stands with a staggering coronavirus toll of 1.5 million and 52,771 deaths.