We’re covering the recent spats between the Supreme Court and the government. Economy Minister Paulo Guedes’ growing frustrations. And a move against maids and cleaners in northern Brazil.
What is an essential job? In Belém, maids fit the bill
Zenaldo Coutinho, the mayor of the northern Brazilian city of Belém, caused controversy by classifying maids and housekeepers as “essential workers,” allowing employers to demand their domestic workers continue their activities, even during social isolation measures.
- Greater Belém faces an imminent collapse of its healthcare system, forcing the state government to enforce a lockdown in the region as of today. Mr. Coutinho’s decision, however, would make maids — typically an already vulnerable and low-income population — exposed to the coronavirus.
- Meanwhile, demand for state-of-the-art air ambulances to hospitals in São Paulo and Brasília has skyrocketed in Belém — with some companies reporting a 100-percent increase in patients. A Belém-São Paulo air ambulance costs at least BRL 80,000 (USD 14,000), that is, 80 times the minimum wage.
Risk. The first Covid-19 death in the state of Rio de Janeiro was a 63-year-old maid. She contracted the virus from her employer, who had been holidaying in Italy and fell ill on return but...