Brazil has reported more than 1,600 coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours: total deaths stand at 313,866

Brazil again recorded more than a thousand deaths from the coronavirus on Monday in the past 24 hours. According to data from the Ministry of Health, the number of deaths was 1,660, for a total of 313,866.

The number of daily infections, meanwhile, was 38,927, with a total of 12,573,615 since the start of the pandemic.

With these figures, and in the midst of a new wave of coronavirus, Brazil is the second country in the world most affected by the pandemic, just behind the United States.

The numbers, however, show a sharp drop from the past few days, when the 24-hour death toll reached over 3,600. The figures for this Monday are similar to those reported on weekends, when the number of cases and deaths tends to drop because, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health itself, the staff responsible for processing the data is reduced.

According to several specialists, This virulent new wave suffered by the South American country could accelerate even more in the coming weeks, due to the circulation of new, much more aggressive variants.

In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus, the country’s main cities have ordered the halt of all activities considered non-essential and even, in others such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, ten-day vacations have been taken. announced that started last Friday and will include Holy Week.

Despite the fact that the population of Rio de Janeiro has respected the ban on going to the beach for two days, this Sunday, a sunny day with strong heat, things have changed and the police had to intervene to expel hundreds of people who tried to stay in the sands of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblón.

Also in several cities of the country, the authorities raided dozens of premises housing underground parties, which in some cases gathered hundreds of people and who, for the most part, were summoned via social networks.

In other cities, such as Belo Horizonte, there have been some protests, but by merchants who demanded an end to restrictions on economic activities, which in this capital and other regional capitals will be in effect until the end of Holy Week.

For his part, the governor of the state of Sao Paulo, Joao doria, admitted on Monday that the vaccine against the coronavirus “100% national” that an institute in São Paulo was going to produce It will be developed from the investigations of an American hospital.

In an ad that garnered media attention, Doria announced last Friday that the Butantan Institute was requesting authorization to manufacture a vaccine from next May, the first in Brazil, called ButanVac.

“This is a historic announcement for the world,” said the governor on this occasion, presenting the vaccine against the new coronavirus in front of a panel with the Brazilian flag and the message “Butanvac, the 100% national vaccine”.

Hours later, however, The Butantan Institute recognized Mount Sinai Hospital in New York as the institution responsible for developing the technology to produce the aforementioned anticovid vaccine in Brazil.

This Monday, questioned about it by journalists, Doria admitted not having knowledge of this information, but insisted on the need to use “All the alternatives in Brazil and in the world” to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“The important thing is to have a vaccine. If you have international technology, that’s good, ”said Doria, a strong political rival to President Jair Bolsonaro, with whom he had had close ties since the start of the pandemic for measures taken to contain the spread of the virus.

The Butantan Institute is manufacturing in Brazil a vaccine against the coronavirus which comes from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac and which is currently the most used in the country.

With information from EFE

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