[8][9][10] The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a variety of responses from federal, state and local governments, having an impact on politics, education, the environment,[11] and the economy.

On 27 March 2020 Brazil announced a temporary ban on foreign air travelers[12] and most state governors have imposed quarantines to prevent the spread of the virus.

[13] President Jair Bolsonaro perpetuated conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19 treatments[14] and its origins,[15] and was accused of downplaying effective mitigations and pursuing a strategy of herd immunity.

On 28 January 2020, Brazil's Ministry of Health announced that a suspected case of COVID-19 was being investigated in Belo Horizonte, involving a student who had recently returned from Wuhan, China.

[27] On 25 February, the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Brazil (and the first in South America) was announced by the Health Department of São Paulo – a 61-year-old man who had returned from Lombardy, Italy.

[31][32] In an address on 6 March, President Jair Bolsonaro advised residents to "strictly follow the experts' recommendations as the best protective measure", but that "there is no reason to panic".

[37] On 13 March, the cruise ship Silver Shadow arrived from the Bahamas and docked in Recife, Pernambuco, bearing 318 passengers and 291 crew members, including one suspected case of COVID-19.

The origin of the research and development became a hugely debated issue, further complicated by conspiracy theories spread by anti-vax groups and renowned political allies of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian President along with xenophobia.

He faced criticism for participating without taking precautions (such as wearing a mask), especially after his press secretary was infected following his presidential visit to the United States.

[181] Bolsonaro opposed proposals to purchase the Sinovac Biotech vaccine, but the country's health agency granted approval for Phase 3 trials in São Paulo.

[188][189] In late March 2020, Facebook, Inc. and Twitter pulled social media posts by Bolsonaro that promoted hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment for COVID-19, with the companies considering them misinformation that could cause physical harm, and a contradiction of authoritative health information respectively.

Governor of São Paulo João Doria criticised President Bolsonaro for his inaction on COVID-19, which had required individual states to take on responsibilities that should have been taken on at the federal level.

[196][197] On 19 March, President Bolsonaro's son Eduardo shared a Twitter post that which blamed the Chinese Communist Party for the worldwide spread of COVID-19.

As China is Brazil's largest trading partner, the post provoked criticism from Chinese diplomats such as Yang Wanming – who argued that Bolsonaro family was "the great poison of this country.

"[198] In a presidential address on 22 March 2020, Bolsonaro continued with these arguments,[199] criticising the use of "scorched earth" mitigation measures such as closing businesses and restricting travel, questioning the closure of schools due to there being more infections among the elderly, and accusing the media of spreading a "feeling of dread" among the population.

"[200][201][202] In a televised interview on 23 March 2020, Bolsonaro criticised the protests against him, arguing that "the people will soon see that they were tricked by these governors and by the large part of the media when it comes to coronavirus".

"[208] On 21 March 2020, it was reported that Alcolumbre, president of the Chamber of Deputies Rodrigo Maia, and the leaders of the major parties in the National Congress, no longer believed that they could conduct productive dialogue on COVID-19 with Bolsonaro.

[209] The 22 March 2020 presidential address was met with a negative response by many Brazilian politicians,[a] as well as critics of Bolsonaro; in a Twitter post, journalist Ricardo Noblat referred to it as the "first political suicide broadcast live on national radio and television.

[202][212][213] In mid-March 2020, panelaços began to occur in major cities such as Rio and São Paulo, including protests in support of the president, and others calling for his resignation.

"[16][216][217] Natália Pasternak Taschner, the president of the Instituto Questão de Ciência, microbiologist, and research scientist at the University of São Paulo, has addressed the spread of misinformation from the government and other sources.

[234] According to Rogério Barbosa, a professor at the IESP Institute for Social and Political Studies; due to the pandemic, between social-distancing and the fear of becoming infected by the virus, between 17 and 19 million people have stopped searching for employment in Brazil.

[235] The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, increasing by over half compared to baseline levels, according to satellite imagery.

[244] On 18 March 2020 hospitals in São Paulo denounced a lack of health materials, such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, caused by an increase in prices.

In an interview, the health secretary announced the creation of two more Respiratory Disease centers and was studying placing PMs to serve the population.

[169] Employees at four public hospitals in the city of São Paulo reported a shortage of materials such as alcohol gel, masks and gloves when caring for patients with suspected coronavirus.

Professionals in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) reported a shortage of masks and rationing of gel alcohol, though the situation of public-service workers was different from that of private hospitals in São Paulo, the latter of which had sufficient equipment to care for patients.

[249] On 20 March the press reported that Brazil was contradicting the recommendation of the World Health Organization by only testing patients in a severe condition.

In addition to the first cases of coronavirus in Acre, health professionals in the state had to deal with the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).

[256] Dom Odilo Scherer, Archbishop of São Paulo, had initially defended the position that churches should not be closed, arguing that there should be more daily services to diffuse large gatherings.

[257][258][259] Bishop Edir Macedo, founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, also declared that services should not be suspended, as well as Silas Malafaia, leader of Assembleia de Deus Vitória em Cristo.