Unvaccinated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was Not Allowed in Football Stadium - Report

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday, October 10, said that he was denied entry to the Santos vs Gremio football match as he was unvaccinated. The officials told the President that he should get the Covid vaccine, and then watch the match.

A video of the president's conversation with the press in Guaruja, Sao Paulo, was released by Metropoles on Sunday.

"Why the card, vaccination passport? I just wanted to watch the Santos game, and they said he has to be vaccinated. Why is that?" Bolsonaro asked reporters on Sunday. He also told that he has more antibodies than people who have received the Covid-19 shots. Apart from this, he said that his immunity is also very high compared to many people.

Bolsonaro was Denied Entry Due to the Covid-19 Protocols

A spokesman for Santos said the club had not been approached by the president's team and that all fans must follow the country's sanitary regulations. The soccer match was Santos' first with supporters present since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the club insisted it would only permit entry of vaccinated people or those who had a negative PCR test, reported Reuters.

Authorities this week allowed clubs to fill 30% of available seats in Brazilian championship games, reported The Associated Press. Most clubs and states are still demanding several health safety measures.

The protocol agreed by the Brazilian soccer confederation says all people inside stadiums must be vaccinated and recently tested.

Pandemic Denial of Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro is widely known for his anti-vaccination and anti-social isolation stances during the pandemic. He has expressed skepticism toward coronavirus vaccines and has not been inoculated. After mocking the coronavirus as "measly cold", Bolsonaro had contracted the virus in July 2020. After being in quarantine for a couple of weeks, the right-wing President - an ardent opponent of lockdowns who often defies mask-wearing rules - returned to work.

He has often denied the severity of the pandemic and said, "Vaccines may turn you into crocodiles." He also said the vaccine can make women grow a beard and men talk like women.

Social Media Reactions

As soon as the social media users got to know that Bolsonaro was denied an entry to the football match, many comments surfaced on the internet.

One internet user wrote, "He has help to kill 600,000 Brazilians and he still isn't vaxxed? Even Trump figured out that he should be vaccinated." Another wrote, "I think the absolute minimum we should expect of our world leaders is that they can assess risky situations and make the right choice."

One comment read, "Cry me a river! Why is he president if he can't take the most basic steps to keep his constituents healthy!" Another comment read, "Well done Santos and Gremio!!!!"