Brazil's Virus Hotspot Goes It Alone, Dismissing Bolsonaro
Company News
19h ago
Simone Iglesias and Julia Leite, Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) --
Brazil’s richest state is buying medical gear directly from foreign suppliers and stands ready to go to the top court if President Jair Bolsonaro orders looser quarantine measures.
Sao Paulo has bought over 1 million testing kits from South Korea, which should arrive over the weekend, Governor Joao Doria said in an interview. The state is also using its office in Shanghai to help conduct talks to acquire protective gear and respirators from China.
The purchases are being funded by the state’s coffers and 211 million reais ($39 million) in donations from companies, which help ensure payment and speeds up negotiations with suppliers, he said.
“We can’t rely on the health ministry for crisis equipment,” Doria said in an interview Friday. “Today we have a minister who’s responsible, someone I have great respect for. But we don’t know who could take over the post if he were to leave, and we don’t want to leave the health of the people in the hands of someone who may not have the correct, scientific view that he has.”
More:
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/brazil-s-virus-hotspot-goes-it-alone-dismissing-bolsonaro-1.1417290
