The country has registered over 20.5 million cases since the pandemic began, but the Brazilian president asked his health ministry to study ending the use of masks.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told a radio broadcaster he had commissioned a study from the health ministry regarding ending the use of facial masks, which is recommended by specialists to prevent the coronavirus.

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Bolsonaro said he would meet with Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga on Monday, adding an announcement in relation to the use of masks in Brazil could be made as early as today.

The South American country has registered 20,528,099 cases Friday since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 573,511, according to ministry data, in the world’s third worst outbreak outside the United States and India and it’s second-deadliest after the United States.