Brazil’s Bolsonaro fined for mask violation in Sao Paulo

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been fined for not wearing a mask in a public space, breaking a local government’s coronavirus restrictions.

The state government press office for Sao Paulo announced the fine, which will cost around $110, The Associated Press reported.

Bolsonaro was maskless while riding his motorcycle and speaking on top of a sound truck, saying that those who are fully vaccinated should not have to wear masks, according to the AP.

“Whoever is against this proposal is because they don’t believe in science, because if they are vaccinated, there is no way the virus can be transmitted,” the president said.

Bolsonaro was also fined last month by another local government for not abiding by local mask guidelines.

Brazil has been struggling to contain COVID-19, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeping the country on a Level 4 travel advisory, meaning no one should go to Brazil due to the severity of the outbreak.

Many health experts do not recommend mask mandates be dropped until a majority of a country is fully vaccinated.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health says less than 12 percent of the country’s population is fully vaccinated, the AP noted.

Brazil has had more than 17.3 million reported coronavirus cases and more than 484,000 deaths.