Brazil registered on Tuesday (03/16/2021) a record of 2,841 deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours, confirming the worst omens of a pandemic out of control, at a time when the Minister of Health appointed by President Jair Bolsonaro begins his administration .
The South American country now adds 282,127 deaths from COVID-19, a number surpassed only by the United States. And the average of the last seven days is 1,965 daily deaths, almost triple the 703 at the beginning of the year, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
The ministry also reported 83,926 infections in the last 24 hours, the second highest figure since the start of the pandemic in February 2020, for a cumulative of 11,603,535.
The new record for deaths is more than 500 more than the previous one, 2,286, registered on March 10.
The fierce rebound in the pandemic in Brazil could soon leave some 3,000 deaths a day and raise the balance to 500,000 or 600,000 before the generalization of vaccines, according to experts.
Cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga, appointed on Monday by Bolsonaro to take over as Minister of Health (the fourth since the start of the pandemic), called on Tuesday for the “union” to face the coronavirus.
Contrasting tips
Queiroga stressed the importance of speeding up vaccination and preventive measures such as wearing masks and washing hands with alcohol gel. Some advice that contrasts with the rhetoric of Bolsonaro, who constantly scorned the use of masks and questioned the efficacy or safety of vaccines, not to mention his criticism of the confinement measures due to their economic impact.
The official who has yet to be sworn in will also have to face the crisis in hospitals, with more than 80% occupancy of beds in intensive care units in more than half of the 27 Brazilian states.
jc (afp, reuters, Folha de S.Paulo)
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