MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sao Paulo state with 41,000 Covid-19 cases extends stay-at-home measures

Brazil registered 10,222 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday and 751 deaths.

The governor of Sao Paulo, the Brazilian state at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America, said on Friday he was extending stay-at-home measures until May 31, ignoring opposition from far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

“I'd like to be giving you different news,” Governor Joao Doria told a press conference.

“But we are in the worst moment of this pandemic. The only ones who cannot see it are blinded by hate or personal ambition.”

Doria has repeatedly clashed with Bolsonaro over how to handle the pandemic.

The president wants Brazilians to get back to work. He argues that business closures are unnecessarily damaging the economy, which is on track to shrink by 5.3% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Doria, a member of center-right party PSDB, has refused to be pressured, saying reopening too soon would cause a public health catastrophe.

Brazil registered 10,222 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday and 751 deaths, the health ministry said. Daily deaths beat the previous record of 615 on Wednesday. Overall, Brazil has registered 145,328 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 9,897 deaths.

Experts say under-testing means the real figures are likely much higher, and Sao Paulo, with a population of 45,9 million, has registered more than 41,000 of Brazil's cases, and 3,416 deaths.

The state is Brazil's top industrial hub. It closed schools and non-essential businesses on March 24, and has extended its stay-at-home order through the end of May.