Brazil has set a new daily record in coronavirus infections as the spiralling outbreak puts major stress on the nation’s hospitals.
The Health Ministry in Brasilia reported 90,303 infections over the past 24 hours on Wednesday evening. The previous high was 87,843 new cases on January 7.
This brings the total number of people confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus in the largest country in Latin America to 11.6 million, while 284,775 related deaths have been reported.
Brazil, a nation of 210 million which began vaccinations in January, is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. It is only behind the United States in deaths and infections.
According to the federally-funded biomedical research centre Fiocruz, Brazil is experiencing the “largest health and hospital collapse in history.”
According to Rio-based Fiocruz, utilization of public intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients is 80 per cent or higher in 24 of 26 states and the capital district of Brasilia.
President Jair Bolsonaro, who downplayed the coronavirus from the start, has also cast doubt on the point of vaccinations. On Monday, the right-wing populist leader announced a new health minister – his fourth so far in the pandemic.
According to a survey by the Datafolha institute, 54 per cent of respondents recently described Bolsonaro’s pandemic management as bad or very bad.
