Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has described as “tyrants” state governors and mayors who have imposed lockdowns to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Addressing supporters at his birthday celebrations in Brasilia, he said his government had done all it could and it was now time to reopen the economy.
Mr Bolsonaro, who was 66 on Sunday, has consistently opposed quarantine measures, arguing that the collateral damage to the economy would be worse than the effects of the virus itself.
Earlier this month, the president told Brazilians to “stop whining” about the pandemic.
Mr Bolsonaro’s handling of the outbreak has triggered widespread criticism both home and abroad.
In a separate development, Brazil’s health ministry said on Sunday it was lifting its requirement for local authorities to reserve half their vaccine stockpiles for second doses.
Outgoing Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said the aim was to get at least one vaccine dose to the maximum number of people as fast as possible, according to the AFP news agency.
Brazil has been struggling with the rollout of its vaccination programme across the vast country. So far, it has been using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and China’s CoronaVac, both of which require two jabs.
Brazil has also placed orders for the Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and Sputnik V vaccines.