Brazilians scorn Bolsonaro’s coronavirus efforts, back health officials -polls

BRASILIA/ RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - Brazilians increasingly disapprove of President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and overwhelmingly support governors and health officials he has attacked for advocating social-distancing measures, two polls showed on Friday.

The surveys suggest Bolsonaro’s attacks on governors and even his own health minister may have backfired. Bolsonaro continues to rail against state and municipal shutdowns, calling them economically disastrous responses to an overhyped risk.

Bolsonaro’s coronavirus performance has been “bad” or “awful” according to 39% of respondents surveyed this week, up from 33% last month, according to pollster Datafolha. Those who consider his response to the health crisis “good” or “great” slipped to 33% from 35% previously.

By contrast, the survey showed approval of governors rising to 58% from 54%, while support for the crisis response by the Health Ministry soared to 76% from 55% in the last survey.

On Friday, the country’s coronavirus deaths jumped to 359 from 299, while confirmed cases jumped to 9,056.

The number of cases in Brazil could soon explode, according to a Friday report by the Center for Health Operations and Intelligence, a consortium of Brazilian research institutions. The center predicts between 35,298 and 60,413 cases by April 20.

Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta has insisted on the importance of social distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease. His position contradicting the president has raised speculation that he could be fired.

In a Thursday evening radio interview, Bolsonaro said that Mandetta has at times “gone overboard” and lacked “humility.”

“I don’t plan on firing him during the war,” Bolsonaro said, referring to the current crisis.

Bolsonaro has shocked many around the world by persistently playing down the gravity of the pandemic, calling COVID-19 “a little cold” exaggerated by the media and his opponents - even after his political role model U.S. President Donald Trump walked back his own skepticism about the outbreak. Bolsonaro’s stance has isolated him politically in Brazil.