Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that no more coronavirus-fighting quarantine measures can be imposed than those already in place because jobs are being destroyed and the poor are suffering.

Speaking to Rede TV, Bolsonaro repeated his view that there is a large degree of "hysteria" around the pandemic, and said Economy Minister Paulo Guedes told him measures taken to combat the crisis could cost 800 billion Reals (155 billion U.S. dollars) and that the economy could recover within a year.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly dismissed the coronavirus as a "little cold" and urged residents to keep the country's economy going, rejecting calls to implement a nationwide lockdown. In an apparent attempt to justify his reluctance to take drastic measures, he even went so far as to say "We're all going to die one day."

Bolsonaro's downplaying of the outbreak has increasingly come under heavy fire. Anger and fury at his response were manifested by waves of pan-banging protests in cities across Brazil, media criticizing the government and political opponents calling for an end to his presidency. 

In response, Bolsonaro has accused his political foes and the press of purposefully "tricking" citizens about the dangers of coronavirus. 

Coronavirus has been spreading fast in Brazil. So far the country has more than 4,500 confirmed cases, which tripled the reported cases a week before, and at least 159 people have died from COVID-19, up from 25 deaths reported last week.

To contain the outbreak, many of Brazil's states have closed shopping malls and schools, banned public meetings, soccer games and religious assemblies, while the biggest city Sao Paulo has begun a lockdown.

Brazil's initial response to the outbreak was believed to be slow when compared to neighboring countries such as Peru and Argentina. Only a month after the first case was reported in the country did the majority of Brazilian states begin closing public schools.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover image: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends a review and modernization ceremony of occupational health and safety work at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, July 30, 2019. /Reuters)