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From Our Own Correspondent: Covid-19 surges in Brazil

23/05/2020

Covid-19 surges in Brazil

BBC Radio 4 - From Our Own Correspondent, Covid-19 surges in Brazil

Stories from Pakistan, Germany, Lebanon, Belgium, and the Covid-19 surge in Brazil.

Stories from Pakistan, Germany, Lebanon, Belgium and Brazil, where the spread of Covid-19 has become a political fault line. With Kate Adie.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has surged in Brazil. And yet there are many Brazilians who fail to  observe social distancing or to wear masks. Some people blame President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the crisis. He has criticised state governors for imposing quarantines.  And as Katy Watson reports from Sao Paulo, the pandemic is turning into a political issue as much as a health one. 
It's been Ramadan in the Muslim world, and this year mosques around the world have been shut under lockdown. Not so in Pakistan, where, as Secunder Kermani has found, the politicians chose not to oppose the clerics who wanted to keep them open for prayer. Policemen stood by powerlessly as the faithful flocked in. 
Fancy returning to the theatre or ballet? You're not alone. Performers too, have been longing to get back to the stage. That's not possible yet, but in Germany they can now rehearse in studios again rather than their kitchens.  Jenny Hill went to watch the Dortmund ballet dust off their tutus and stretch their muscly limbs again. 
In Lebanon and Syria, it's the season when the jasmine blossoms. The sweet smell is even more powerful this year, as it doesn't need to compete with traffic pollution as much, thanks to lockdown. The jasmine's scent also evokes memories of the past, for some, says Lizzie Porter in Beirut. 
In Belgium, lockdown has been eased. Many shops have reopened, as have schools, at least in part. Even hairdressers are welcoming customers again. Our correspondent Kevin Connolly has made a tentative return to consumerism - you won't believe what his first purchase was. 
Presenter: Kate Adie
Producer: Arlene Gregorius

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