Coronavirus: Jair Bolsonaro waters down Brazil’s mask law as cases near 1.5 million
- President approves legislation requiring face coverings in public but vetoes clauses mandating their use in churches, schools, shops and factories
- Mask use is contentious and politicised in Brazil, with Bolsonaro himself only sometimes wearing one
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday approved a law obliging use of masks on streets and in public transport to prevent Covid-19 infections, but he vetoed clauses that would have required them in churches, schools, shops and factories.
Bolsonaro argued that forcing people to use masks in such places could violate property rights.
He also vetoed an article that would have forced the government to provide masks to vulnerable groups and that would have required commercial establishments to provide masks to their employees.
As in the United States, use of masks has become contentious and sometimes politicised in Brazil. Bolsonaro himself only sometimes covers his face in public and often mingles with crowds.
Even in cities where masks have been obligatory, compliance and enforcement have been lax.
Brazilian cities last month started lifting restrictions even as Covid-19 cases and deaths continue surging.