A Brazilian court has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to rectify his “at best disrespectful” behaviour by wearing a face mask whenever he is in public places, according to The Guardian.
The president has sparked outrage by repeatedly flouting measures designed to slow the advance of the coronavirus disease that has killed more than 50,000 Brazilians.
The rightwing populist has made a succession of public appearances – at protests, shops, and even a floating barbecue – wearing a mask incorrectly, or not at all.
On Monday, a federal judge ruled Bolsonaro was not above the laws of the federal district, which contains Brazil’s capital, and would face a daily fine of 2,000 reais (£310) if he continued to break the rules. The use of masks has been compulsory there since late April.
“The president of the republic must take all necessary measures to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 – be that in order to protect his own health or that of those around him,” Renato Borelli ruled, according to a transcript published by the Estado de São Paulo newspaper.
“Even though there is no consensus within the medical/scientific community about the dissemination of Covid-19 by asymptomatic carriers, it is at best disrespectful to go out in public without using PPE – putting other people’s health at risk,” the judge added.
Punch
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