Coronavirus

Emergency Covid-19 fund gets BRL 2 million in one week

Brazil to pay emergency salary to informal workers
“Do not leave your home,” says billboard in Brasília. Photo: Jefferson Rudy/AB

Some of Brazil’s biggest business owners have created an emergency fund to help raise money for the country’s public healthcare system. In seven days, BRL 2.1 million (USD 390,000) were raised — 90 percent coming from individuals. The money will be used to buy respirators, testing kits, and personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals.

The minimum donation amount is BRL 20, and deposits over BRL 50,000 remain in the single digits. So far, just two companies have pledged donations. In the short-term future, the money will also go to families made financially vulnerable by the upcoming recession.