Bolsonaro threatens to withdraw Brazil from WHO

The WHO showed an opposite view against Bolsonaro's efforts to lift lockdowns, as the COVID-19 epidemic was still plaguing the country.

Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday threatened to withdraw his country from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Bolsonaro said Brazil will consider leaving the WHO unless it stops being a partisan political organization.

Earlier, the WHO showed an opposite view against Bolsonaro's efforts to lift lockdowns, as the COVID-19 epidemic was still plaguing the country.

Speaking about loosening the social distancing order, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said key criteria for lifting lockdowns should be slowing transmission.

With a new record of daily COVID-19 fatalities, Brazil overtook Italy to become a country with the third-highest infections in the world.

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Brazil's total COVID-19 deaths have surged to 34,021 after its health ministry on Thursday reported 1,437 new deaths in the past 24 hours.

(ANI)