Brazil is facing an “overload and even a collapse of health systems” due to COVID-19 cases, which increased, a report from the state institute Fiocruz warned on Tuesday, as the country set a new daily record of coronavirus deaths.
Leading the news: The institute said more than 80% of intensive care beds are occupied in 25 of Brazil’s 27 state capitals. In Rio de Janeiro, 93% of ICU beds are occupied and Brasilia has only 3%. The cities of Campo Grande (106%) and Porto Alegre (102%) have exceeded capacity.
- Brazil’s health ministry reported 1,972 more coronavirus deaths and 70,764 new cases on Tuesday.
For the record: According to data from Johns Hopkins, the country has recorded the second highest number of deaths (268,370) from coronavirus after the US (527,643).
- It has reported the third highest number of cases in the world: more than 11.1 million since the pandemic began.
What they say: Fiocruz epidemiologist Jesem Orellana told AFP that “the fight against COVID-19 was lost in 2020” and “there is not the slightest chance of reversing this tragic circumstance” during the first half of this year.
- “The best we can do is wait for the miracle of mass vaccination or a radical change in pandemic management,” he added.
- “Today, Brazil is a threat to humanity and an open-air laboratory where impunity in management seems to be the rule.”
Note: President Jair Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly downplayed the virus, said last week Brazilians should stop “complaining” about the pandemic and leave home, despite house arrest orders imposed by local authorities, according to Reuters.