(Bloomberg) – Brazil surpassed India in coronavirus infections, retaking the position of the second most affected country in the world, as it rushes to contain the spread of the virus that is wreaking havoc in the vast Latin American nation.
On Friday, the country reported 85,663 new cases, bringing the total to 11,363,380. The number of deaths increased by 2,216, bringing the number to 275,105. Now, Brazil is only behind the United States in deaths and infections worldwide.
Although the combination of strict social distancing restrictions and mass vaccination has caused infections to decrease in much of the world in recent weeks, Brazil is currently going through the worst phase of the pandemic. After the end-of-year gatherings and clandestine Carnival festivities, cases and deaths have increased, while a new, more transmissible variant is accelerating the contagion. Hospitals across the country are on the brink of collapse, prompting state governors to impose curfews and close deals.
“The situation is totally out of control,” said Raquel Stucchi, an infectious disease expert and professor at Unicamp University. “It is likely to continue to get worse despite the restrictions announced by governors and mayors, the federal government continues to insist that they are not necessary.”
Since the virus first arrived a year ago, health experts have criticized President Jair Bolsonaro’s rejection of the disease and the lack of a national policy to combat it. The restrictions have varied from city to city and are often relaxed only to be reimposed weeks later. The hodgepodge of policies has little or no application, reducing its effectiveness and prolonging the health crisis.
The resurgence of the virus has prompted Brazilian states to try to coordinate measures to restrict mobility to combat the pandemic, although concrete guidelines have yet to be announced. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro continues to urge governors to allow businesses to reopen, saying the economic cost of the pandemic outweighs the effects of the virus if people are unable to work.
Nota Original:Brazil Passes India for Second-Highest Covid Case Toll in World
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