Sao Paulo, May 20 (RHC)-- In Brazil, the mayor of São Paulo, the country’s most populous city, warns hospitals are “near collapse” and could be completely overwhelmed in the coming weeks.  Mayor Bruno Covas said the surge in cases is due to people not adhering to social distancing rules. 

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly dismissed the virus and opposed regional prevention and lockdown efforts.  Mayor Covas told the BBC: “It is hard to believe that some prefer the population to be subjected to Russian roulette.  Indifference in the face of death is unseemly.” 

São Paulo Governor João Doria told reporters: "The enemy of the economy is not quarantine, it is the pandemic.  We have to beat the pandemic so as to rescue the economy, the national economy and also here in São Paulo.  That is why we have to provide all the necessary support, for science, for medicine, for health.”

Brazil recorded nearly 700 new coronavirus deaths Monday.  It surpassed Britain to become the third most infected country in the world, reporting over 255,000 cases.  Only Russia and the U.S. have more reported cases.  Of the nearly 17,000 fatalities in Brazil, at least 116 were nurses who died battling the coronavirus.