“ Thanks to the improvement of the epidemiological scenario, the vast vaccination coverage of the population and the capacity of our public health system, we have the conditions to announce today the end of the health emergency. “. This announcement by Brazilian Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga is widely commented on in the press. The newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo recalls that the pandemic has killed more than 660,000 people in Brazil. If the minister during his speech had a thought for the victims, he however defended the management of Covid-19 by the government, affirming that the authorities were able to save many lives. Folha de Sao Paulo do not share this opinion.
The daily stresses that the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, candidate for re-election next October, has been the subject of much criticism for its handling of the pandemic. He was very reluctant to apply the most basic sanitary measures recommended by the World Health Organization, starting with wearing a mask. A few weeks ago, Jair Bolsonaro said he wanted to end the pandemic definitively by April and return to normality in Brazil. But even the Minister of Health admitted yesterday that the country “ will continue to live with the virus “.
The opinion of health experts
According to O Globo, most of the experts consulted by the newspaper believe that it is too early to lift the anti-Covid measures, because the pandemic is far from being under control at the global level. In some regions, cases of contamination are on the rise. Declaring the end of the state of health emergency in Brazil could affect the purchase of vaccines. According to Carta Capitalhealth professionals recommend to the government a transition period of 90 days to lift the health restrictions.
Democrats on alert over bad polls
It’s on the front page of New York Times. “ Will Joe Biden cause a bloodbath in the Democratic Party? asks the newspaper dramatically. The daily relies on a recent poll by Quinnipiac University according to which the president’s approval rating has fallen to 33%. Other surveys confirm the erosion of the president’s popularity seven months before the midterm elections. While his record isn’t necessarily bad, analysts say he struggles to explain it. He’s not someone who tweets 10 times a day and brags about his actions and that’s exactly what Americans elected him to do, as an antidote to Donald Trump.
Only here, explain the New York Times, America has changed and Americans would like to have a “showman” in the White House, who distracts them a little. Or at least someone who creates an emotional connection with voters, which Joe Biden does not. Another concern that emerges from the polls, according to the New York Times : the fact that the president is increasingly unpopular among Latinos, a group that until now has traditionally voted in favor of the Democrats. Why is this electorate turning away from Joe Biden? Analysts are still trying to figure it out, but one thing is certain: this data shows that the upcoming elections will be difficult for Democrats, writes the New York Times.
The Russian ambassador in Washington, the most unpopular man in Washington
Another topic on the front page of Achim’s North American press is the war in Ukraine and its implications for the United States. The information site Politico publishes a portrait of the Russian ambassador in Washington. Anatoly Antonov who has become the most unpopular man in Washington, according to Politico. No one calls or invites him anymore, he no longer has contact with the Russian president, but continues to defend his positions in an interview with Politico.
According to the news site, Antonov is considered a ” hardliner “, a hawk, but according to foreign policy experts in Washington, the Russian ambassador would not have much influence on decision-making in Moscow.