Bolsa Família is the answer to Covid-19. But Bolsonaro has slashed it

In one of his now numerous rants against social isolation as a key tactic to contain the spread of Covid-19, President Jair Bolsonaro told a true-crime show host this week that “unfortunately, some deaths will occur … so be it, it happens, and we’ll move on.” He continued by saying that the fight against the disease — by forcing the country into a recession as people go on self-isolation — will end up being more damaging than the coronavirus itself.

Staunchly against quarantines issued by state governors, Mr. Bolsonaro has said on a daily basis that “Brazilians want to go back to work,” and that “Brazil cannot stop.” This echoes a similar campaign launched last month in Milan, Italy — proved wrong after 9,000 Covid-19 deaths.

The president does have a point in worrying about the economy. Brazil’s industrial activity has been on a continuous slowdown and unemployment rates remain in the double digits, growing from 11.2 to 11.6 percent of the workforce between November and February. So plunging...