When Nelson Teich was appointed as new Health Minister on April 17, Brazil recorded 33,682 cases and 2,141 Covid-19 deaths. In the first update since Mr. Teich acrimoniously resigned, Brazil had 218,223 total cases and 14,817 deaths.
President Jair Bolsonaro has said multiple times he wants cabinet members who are completely “aligned” with his own beliefs. For the Health Ministry, that means endorsing the use of chloroquine — despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness against Covid-19 — and siding with Mr. Bolsonaro in opposing social isolation measures imposed by state governors.
Army General Eduardo Pazuello has taken over the department on an interim basis — but sources told Brasília correspondent Brenno Grillo that he has accepted the president’s conditions and will soon be named as the new minister.