President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on 26 March easing some of the COVID-19 mitigation measures imposed by state governors, ignoring the requests from local officials and health experts that the national government impose more stringent mitigation measures to slow the spread of the virus. Bolsonaro’s order has deepened the fight between the executive branch and state governors over the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to confusion for local residents and businesses. The new executive order deems religious services and celebrations of Mass as “essential” — exempting religious activities from state closure orders — and grants some entertainment locations, including popular lottery houses, the right to remain open. Moreover, the president has threatened to roll back other quarantine measures and open schools in states — including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo — where governors imposed mitigation measures. However, some legal officials have publicly criticized the executive’s attempts to annul state-level authority. At present, Brazilian airports remains open to international flights even as most countries worldwide have closed their borders. Nonetheless, Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (SBGL/GIG) — the largest airport in Rio de Janeiro — is expected to reduce flights by 90% in April due to a decrease in demand, and other airports in Brazil are likely to reduce operations as well. As of 27 March, Brazil has reported 2,988 cases of COVID-19 — which is the most confirmed cases of any country in Latin America.