This week, we talk about the Brazilian government’s active attempts to cover up the Covid-19 problem. And the rollercoaster that has been the country’s foreign exchange rate.
To cure a fever, break the thermometer
Incapable of containing the spread of the coronavirus, Brazil’s government has instead engaged in hiding the numbers of the pandemic in the country. Since last week, when the number of daily new deaths started breaking consecutive records — always in the four-digit territory —, the federal government began tampering with official data.
- Earlier last week, the government began delaying its updates until after all nightly newscasts on national television had finished.
- On Friday, the online dashboard containing the progress of Covid-19 cases and deaths went off the air. It returned almost a full day later — but included only daily cases and casualties, hiding the total tallies.
- On Sunday, the government published not one, but two very different counts. At 8:40 pm, it published that 1,382 deaths had been recorded over the previous 24 hours. Then, at 9:50 pm, that figure was changed to just 525 deaths — a difference of 857.
What could have happened. The government had previously announced that it would only declare the...