BRAZILIAN senators recommended on Tuesday that President Jair Bolsonaro should face criminal charges over the country’s disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

A senate committee said prosecutors should try the president on charges ranging from charlatanism and inciting crime to misuse of public funds.

Brazilian opposition politicians say the president’s dismissal of Covid as a “little flu,” his repeated staging of mass political rallies in defiance of social distancing requirements and attempts to derail restrictions applied by regional authorities have played a significant role in undermining efforts to contain the virus. 

Brazil’s death toll of over 600,000 is the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

The senate recommendation will go to the prosecutor-general, who will decide on whether to press charges.

• Russia reported another record-breaking figure for Covid fatalities today at 1,123 new deaths. Belgium reimposed Covid restrictions on Tuesday after a 75 per cent week-on-week increase in cases.