As Brazil Relaxes Restrictions, It Records 28,000 COVID-19 Cases, 1349 Deaths In 24 Hours
In Brazil, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus, saying on Tuesday that death was ¡°everyone¡¯s destiny.¡±
After seeing low number of coronavirus case in the early stage of worldwide outbreak, Brazil is staring at a catastrophe as cases spike at apocalyptic rates with more than 28,000 infections recorded in last 24 hours.
Reuters
The country reported a daily record of
28,633
new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to the Health Ministry, bringing its total tally to
584,016, second only to the United States in confirmed cases.
Brazil¡¯s death toll rose
1,349
from a day earlier to
32,548
confirmed fatalities from the COVID-19 disease.
In Brazil, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus, saying on Tuesday that death was ¡°everyone¡¯s destiny.¡±
State and local authorities that have supported quarantining measures are loosening restrictions as hunger grows and public finances, shaky in the best of times, plummet deep into the red.
Reuters
In Rio de Janeiro, the nation¡¯s second-largest city, many types of shops were allowed to open for the first time in months on Tuesday. The country is caught at crossroads - cases are mounting at alarming rate and economy is suffering.
In trying to maintain a balance between the two, Brazil is paying dearly. With cases and deaths continue to show an upward trend, the country is expected to surpass United States coronavirus numbers by July end.
Experts have voiced fears that Latin America¡¯s two largest economies are reopening too fast as a record number of COVID-19 deaths left Brazil poised to overtake Italy as the country with the world¡¯s third-highest number of fatalities.
Despite those grim statistics Brazil this week began a gradual reopening, as did parts of other countries in the region including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Reuters
In Rio, where nearly 4,000 lives have been lost, restrictions on the use of beaches and commerce were partially relaxed and surfers returned to the Atlantic waves off Ipanema. The level of traffic appeared to be returning to normal and car showrooms and estate agents were allowed to reopen.
Brazil could also be a case study for country like India where the need to open economy is been felt more than ever, but there is also a threat of larger virus outbreak looming large as cases continue to surge.
India will have to find a concrete unlock plan to avoid the mistakes made by the South American nation. While there is a larger consensus that the economy needs to restart, how better to tackle virus threat also holds key.
