Brazil passes Italy and Spain in confirmed coronavirus cases
18 May, 2020
Brazil’s confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus rose on Saturday past those of Spain and Italy, that was after the epicentres of the pandemic, making Brazil’s outbreak the fourth major in the world, according to official figures.
Brazil’s Health Ministry registered 14,919 new confirmed cases in the prior 24 hours, taking the full total to 233,142, behind america, Russia and the United Kingdom. Brazil has done only a fraction of the testing observed in those three countries.
The global distinction is likely to pile pressure on president Jair Bolsonaro, who lost his second health minister in per month on Friday as he defies public health authorities and demands widespread make use of unproven drugs.
Bolsonaro has been fiercely critical of the orders by a lot of Brazil’s state governors for strict social isolation and quarantine to combat the spread of the virus, like the closure of schools, shops and restaurants.
Bolsonaro argues that the toll on the economy is now unbearable and businesses should be allowed to reopen as quickly as possible. The federal government now expects Brazil will post its biggest total annual economic contraction this year since records commenced over a century ago.
Brazil’s vice president, Hamilton Mourao, underwent a COVID-19 ensure that you was placed in isolation at his official residence on Saturday, after a public servant who had been near him the other day tested positive.
Mourao, 66, will not fulfill official duties on Monday, when the email address details are expected. Bolsonaro has undergone several coronavirus tests after ministers and other close aides tested positive.
Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European nations. Brazil had processed almost 338,000 novel coronavirus tests in official labs by the beginning of the week, according to the Health Ministry. Another 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting in line.
In comparison, Italy and Spain have each run some 1.9 million official diagnostic tests for the virus.
Brazil’s Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 816 new deaths linked to the virus, bringing the full total to 15,633.
Source: