President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) signed a law on Monday creating a National Day in Memory of the Victims of Covid-19 [1], [6].
The legislation establishes a formal state recognition of the pandemic's toll on Brazilian society. By codifying this remembrance, the government seeks to ensure the tragedy remains part of the national record, while addressing the social and political fallout of the health crisis.
The new law, designated as PL 2.120/2022 [1], sets March 12 as the official date of observance. This specific date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the first recorded death from Covid-19 in Brazil [1], [2].
During the signing ceremony at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília, the president used the occasion to address the scale of the loss [5], [6]. Reports indicate that the number of victims in Brazil exceeds 716,000 [2], though other estimates place the figure at more than 700,000 [1].
Lula used the event to criticize the management of the pandemic under the previous administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro [5], [6]. He linked the high death toll to the decisions made during that period, suggesting that the crisis was exacerbated by the government's response.
The establishment of the day is intended to serve as both a tribute to the deceased and a cautionary reminder of the importance of public health infrastructure [1], [5].
“March 12 marks the anniversary of the first recorded death from Covid-19 in Brazil.”
The creation of this national day transforms a public health tragedy into a permanent political and historical marker. By linking the remembrance to a critique of the Bolsonaro administration, the current government is using the legislation to contrast its approach to science and public health with that of its predecessor, effectively institutionalizing a specific narrative of the pandemic's failure in Brazil.
