Brazil is facing “overload and even collapse of health systems” due to growing COVID-19 cases, a report by the state institute Fiocruz warned on Tuesday, as the country set a new daily record of coronavirus deaths.
News management: The institute said that more than 80% of the beds of intensive care units are occupied in 25 of the 27 capitals of the Brazilian state. In Rio de Janeiro, 93% of ICU beds are occupied, and Brasilia has only 3% available. Campo Grande (106%) and Porto Alegre (102%) exceeded capacity.
- Brazil’s health ministry reported another 1,972 coronavirus deaths and 70,764 new cases on Tuesday.
For registration: The country had the second highest number of coronavirus deaths (268,370) after the United States (527,643), according to Johns Hopkins.
- It reported the third largest number of cases in the world – more than 11.1 million since the pandemic began.
What are they saying: 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” in the first half of this year.
- “The best thing we can do is hope 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 that Brazilians should stop “crying” about the pandemic and leave home, despite house arrest orders from local authorities, according to Reuters.