Brazil’s Bolsonaro fined for not wearing mask

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro gets hit with a fine for failure to wear a mask while leading a throng of motorcyclist supporters through the streets of Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo’s state government press office says a fine — equivalent to about $110 — will be imposed for violation of a rule that has required masks in public places since May 2020.

The conservative president waved to the crowd from his motorcycle and later spoke from atop a sound truck to helmeted but largely maskless backers. They cheered and chanted while he insisted that masks were useless for those already vaccinated — an assertion disputed by most public health experts.

Less than 12% of Brazil’s population has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health.