Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said that lockdown measures used to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus “kill” and have “suffocated” the country’s economy.

“Without salaries and jobs, people die,” he said referring to restrictions imposed by some states and municipalities. “Lockdown kills,” he added, saying that some politicians have suffocated the economy with forced curfews.

The president’s statement comes as Brazil’s economy is expected to contract 6.4 per cent this year, hit by the pandemic.

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