Brazil calls COVID-19 state of emergency as Bolsonaro approval slips

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro leaves Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil declared a state of emergency on Friday, freeing up funds for the federal government to fight the coronavirus pandemic, as President Jair Bolsonaro's popularity declined over his handling of the crisis.

The Senate approved a measure letting the government waive fiscal targets this year, with senators voting remotely after two of them tested positive for the virus causing the COVID-19 respiratory disease.