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Brazil’s New Health Chief Signals Little Change to Covid Policy

  • Cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga to replace general at ministry
  • Brazil routinely reporting about 2,000 daily deaths from virus
Brazil's outgoing Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello

Brazil's outgoing Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello

Photographer: Andressa Anholete/Bloomberg
Updated on

The cardiologist who’s taking the helm of Brazil’s health ministry said it’s President Jair Bolsonaro who’ll continue to dictate policies to fight a pandemic that is claiming about 2,000 lives a day.

Marcelo Queiroga, who is taking over from General Eduardo Pazuello, shunned lockdowns as a government tool, telling local media it should only be used in extreme situations, and said doctors are free to prescribe medications that are unproven to combat the virus. In previous interviews before accepting the job, he had said he’s personally against the use of chloroquine in Covid-19 patients, a medication repeatedly touted by Bolsonaro.