(Bloomberg) -- President Jair Bolsonaro took to airwaves Tuesday night in an apparent bid to calm political tensions, shifting gears to assure Brazilians that his main concern “was always to save lives.”
In a nationally televised address, the president called for a unified effort by the federal government, states, Congress and society in face of the pandemic.
“We have a mission: to save lives without losing jobs,” he said in the course of his eight-minute speech.
On a familiar note, Bolsonaro once again sought to make the case for more flexible social distancing protocols, citing World Health Organization Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus's comment that “each individual is important and is affected by our actions.”
At the same time, the president struck a far more moderate tone in relation to the pandemic that he only recently referred as “a little flu.”
Read more: ‘Little Flu' Can't Hurt Him: Why Bolsonaro Still Shuns Lockdowns
“We have to avoid any loss of human life as much as possible, but at the same time, we must avoid the destruction of jobs, which is already causing a lot of suffering for Brazilian workers,” Bolsonaro said.
On Tuesday alone, Brazil recorded 42 deaths from coronavirus to raise the nation's toll to 201, with 5.717 confirmed cases nationwide.
The president's address was followed by another night of Brazilians banging pots and pans from open windows, balconies and roof tops -- a traditional form of popular protest in the region that's flared up as Brazilian unease over Bolsonaro's handling of the crisis mounts.
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