Brazil topped 300,000 COVID-19 deaths in thirteen-month pandemic

Brazil topped 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday since he registered his first case, almost thirteen months ago, on February 26, 2020, the media consortium reported on Wednesday, which uses statistics parallel to that of the Ministry of Health.

In their report of the day, health authorities reported 89,414 new infections – over 12 million in total – and 1,999 new deaths – or 300,675 -.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, under pressure from the worsening pandemic, announced on Wednesday the creation of a crisis committee, describing a turnaround in the face of a tragedy he has often sought to downplay.

While the country needed nearly eleven months to add the first 200,000 deaths, the other 100,000 were counted in just two and a half months.

The toll of 300,000 deaths has taken place the day after the country recorded 3,251 deaths on Tuesday, to date, the highest number in a day since the start of the pandemic.

Tuesday record, well above the 2,841 deaths recorded on Tuesday of last week, which was the highest so far, brought the average number of deaths over the past week to 2,436 per day, also the highest since the start of the pandemic.

The average number of infections over the past week was also a record on Tuesday, with 76,545 daily cases, bringing the total number of people infected to nearly 12.2 million.

These figures make Brazil in the country with the most deaths and covid infections last week and in the second with the most victims and cases of the disease in the world since the start of the pandemic, surpassed only by the United States.

The worsening situation confirmed that Brazil faces second wave of covid far more virulent and deadly than first, in part caused by the circulation in the country of new variants of the virus, including the Brazilian.

Rising infections and deaths put much of Brazil on the verge of hospital collapse, because In 25 of the country’s 27 states, the occupancy rate of intensive care units (ICU) exceeds 80%, and caused a worrying shortage of drugs needed to intubate patients and oxygen for them.

The critical situation of hospitals has forced the authorities in different municipalities and regions of the country to adopt strict measures to restrict mobility to try to contain the spread of the virus and reduce the strain on the healthcare system.

Some of the most populous states in Brazil, like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, has adopted tough measures to fight infections and has decreed a vacation that will last all next week, during which the operation of all activities, except essential ones, will be banned.

Despite the situation and the announcement of the crisis committee, Bolsonaro continues to deny the severity of the pandemic, ensures that the country is an example in the management of it and has come to appeal to the Supreme Court to try to limit the power of regional leaders to impose restrictions.

With information from EFE

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