Brazilia, Brazil — According to health ministry figures, Brazil’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 80,000 on Monday while being at the second worse affected country in the world.
Brazil passed the mark of 20,000 COVID-19 deaths on May 21 and has since then quadrupled in over two months and has surpassed 80,000 deaths in July 20.
The country with 212 million people has daily registered over 1,000 new deaths per day, except on Monday, it was 632. However, the overall death toll of Brazil has now reached 80,120. The country has confirmed 2.1 million total infections.
The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who is infected himself is facing criticism for downplaying the virus and for urging state governors to reopen their economies despite health officials’ recommendations.
President Bolsonaro is currently in quarantine along with several infected members of his cabinet.
He had compared the virus to a “little flu,” and had regularly hit the streets with no face mask, shaking hands and taking pictures with supporters at rallies until he got infected for the virus.
Although the level of daily deaths and infections has stabilized in Brazil, it still remains high. On an average, Brazil has registered more than 1,040 new deaths and 33,000 new infections a day over the past week.
