Mandetta says relationship with Bolsonaro is 'worrying' and defends 'unified message' on isolation.

247 - In an interview with Fantástico, on TV Globo, the Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, once again defended social isolation and made a statement that increases the tension in the already troubled relationship with Jair Bolsonaro.

"When you see people going into bakeries, into supermarkets, all huddled together, that's clearly a mistake. I expect a single message, a unified message. Because this creates ambiguity for Brazilians. They don't know whether to listen to the minister, the president, who they should listen to," said the minister.

Mandetta predicts the most difficult moment of the pandemic will be in May and June. "The next 60 days will be very tough. There will be two to three months of many questions, especially against the Ministry of Health." 

According to him, "society's behavior will be what writes this story." "If every business owner believes their activity is essential and resumes operations, the Ministry of Health will show the following week: 'this sector did this to our cities'," the minister states.

Luiz Mandetta also says that there is no possibility of mass testing of the population. "The entire planet Earth wants the product that we want," he explains. 

Regarding his relationship with Jair Bolsonaro, the minister states: "It's worrying because the population looks and thinks, 'Is the minister against the President of the Republic?' And our enemy, our main adversary, is the coronavirus. If I am Minister of Health, it's because of an appointment by the president. The president also looks a lot at the economic side. The Ministry of Health understands, but looks more at the side of protecting lives. I hope that we can have a single, unified message, because this creates ambiguity among Brazilians. They don't know whether to listen to the minister or the president."

He urged the population to be "very disciplined" and reaffirmed the recipe for Brazil to overcome the effects of the pandemic. "We will only get through this if we maintain the three pillars of 'focus, discipline and science'," he argued at the end.

The change in tone reinforces speculation that Mandetta was furious about Jair Bolsonaro's threat to fire him. last Monday (6) and needed to be restrained by close friends, who were called by General Walter Braga Netto.

Furthermore, Bolsonaro has reiterated his call for an end to social isolation so businesses can reopen. Beyond his speeches, Bolsonaro has been taking walks around Brasília, meeting and greeting supporters.

On Thursday (9), Bolsonaro stopped at a bakery in Brasília, according to him, to have a soft drink. In the images shared on his social media, it is possible to see the president hugging employees of the place and posing for photos.