Scientists may still be learning about the virus that has swept across the world but they do appear to be united on one fact: lockdowns can slow the spread. (Subscribe: https://bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe)
But Brazil’s far-right leader President Jair Bolsonaro has refused to be socially distant. Critics say his behaviour is criminally irresponsible.
Brazil is the largest country in both South America and Latin America.
Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states and the Federal District. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas, as well as the most populous Roman Catholic-majority country.
Its Amazon basin includes a vast tropical forest, home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats. Brazil is classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank and a newly industrialized country.