RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Nearly 200 Brazilian economists, including former finance ministers and central bank presidents, urged the Brazilian government to speed up vaccination and adopt tougher restrictions to stop the rampant spread of COVID-19.
The signatories of the letter published Monday decried the "devastating” economic and social situation in Latin America's largest nation. They also attempted to debunk President Jair Bolsonaro's assertion that lockdowns and restrictions would inflict greater hardship on the population than the disease.
“This recession, as well as its harmful social consequences, was caused by the pandemic and will not be overcome until the pandemic is controlled through competent action from the federal government,” the letter read. “It is urgent that the different levels of government prepare to implement an emergency lockdown."
Brazil’s gross domestic product contracted 4.1% in 2020, the biggest annual recession in decades. The economists said the fall in activity alone cost Brazil a loss in tax collection of 6.9%, approximately 58 billion reais ($10.5 billion).
The nation had an average of 2,235 deaths a day last week – the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. So far, nearly 295,000 people have died, the second largest tally in the world after the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Bolsonaro has fought against restrictions on the economy adopted by state governors and mayors. Just last week, the president sought to lift restrictions imposed in the Federal District, Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul via the Supreme Court, online news site G1 reported.
7 Healthcare Stocks Delivering Innovation in 2021
We all knew that traditional healthcare services were disrupted in 2020. The patient-doctor relationship went virtual. In the early months of the pandemic, many people in need of elective surgeries simply did not have that option available to them. And even local pharmacies took on a new e-commerce role as curbside pickup or home delivery of prescription medication became the norm.
Not surprisingly healthcare stocks were battered last year. Overall, the sector was down 11%, far below the S&P 500 Index that climbed over 15%.
However, the market is always forward-looking with a particular eye towards innovation. The healthcare sector has many companies that are developing innovative approaches in areas such as gene editing. And other companies are in late-stage trials for drugs that can deliver breakthrough results for conditions that continue to plague our world.
That’s the focus of this presentation. We’ve identified 7 healthcare stocks that are delivering innovative ideas that will help deliver better patient outcomes. And in some cases will revolutionize medicine altogether. These are also the stocks that analysts have their eye on.
View the "7 Healthcare Stocks Delivering Innovation in 2021".
