A man works at the construction site of a temporary hospital at Ibirapuera sports complex amid COVID-19 outbreak in Sao Paulo
BRASILIA, May 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued a provisional decree that seeks to limit public-sector liability for things that go wrong in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
As published in the Government Gazette, the decree states that civil servants and government employees or officials can only be held accountable for mishaps or oversights “if they intentionally committed the serious error in direct or indirect relation to” the measures being taken to combat the outbreak.
The decree defines a serious error as grave negligence, malpractice or recklessness.
As the decree is provisional, it takes effect immediately.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country has exceeded 200,000.
According to the latest epidemiological data, the virus has infected 202,918 people and left 13,993 dead.
Over the last 24 hours, Brazil has seen the highest daily count of 13,944 new confirmed cases and 844 new deaths, the ministry said.
Also on Thursday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro urged business leaders to push for lifting lockdown orders in financial center Sao Paulo to help the economy. — NNN-XINHUA
