Bolsonaro is now also in the ‘mad emperor stage’ of leadership, with reports that Brazil has ceased to count or publish statistics on COVID cases. The epidemic in that country is spiralling and it is now the second worst hit country after the USA. Brazil’s health ministry took down the website that had been recording fatalities and total cases last Friday. When it came back online the data had been removed. The move was roundly condemned including by a Supreme Court justice, who talked of the erasure of the numbers being a measure worthy of a ‘totalitarian regime’, the desire to absolve the government of genocide was also mentioned. There are now over 1,000 deaths a day in Brazil and there are over 700,000 official cases. This is a rise of 200,000 cases since June 1^st. Bolsonaro is reported to be wanting reports in press to list fatalities below the 1000 per day. It clearly looks better.

The WHO has warned that the pandemic is of the gravest concern in Brazil but getting worse in global terms. The USA is approaching 2 million cases and the curve is certainly not flattening at all. Reports from Texas and other open states are really staggering – they are recording the highest numbers of hospital admissions to date. University of Washington researchers are now predicting 145,000 fatalities by August. But I am not sure if opening up or the recent mass BLM protests are factored in. The other sharply rising states are Michigan, Arizona, and even rural states like Arkansas. Casinos in Las vegas have reopened. Russia is also opening up with close on 500,000 official cases.

Globally the world has now recorded its highest spike with 136,000 new cases in one single day. There are some 7 million cases. We are easing off and opening up, led by fools.