Bolsonaro fires health minister, calls for reopening of Brazil’s economy

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has fired his health minister after clashing with him over how to fight the new coronavirus. On Thursday, the president once again called for states to end stay-at-home orders that he said were hurting the economy.

Bolsonaro has described the virus, which has killed nearly 2,000 Brazilians, as “a little flu" and criticized state governors for imposing restrictions, Reuters said. Health experts and the popular outgoing minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, have supported the curbs.

In televised remarks met with pot-banging protests in several major cities, Bolsonaro said Mandetta did not fully appreciate the need to protect jobs. “We need to return to normal, not as fast as possible, but we need to start having some flexibility,” Bolsonaro said. The government cannot afford emergency aid to the poor for much longer, he added.

Bolsonaro also accused the speaker of the lower house of Congress of turning state governors against him in the crisis and seeking to remove him from the presidency.