The Health Ministry on Thursday (Mar. 12) released another report on the coronavirus in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, Minister Luiz Mandetta declared Brazil registered eight new confirmed cases of the disease. The number went from 52 to 60.
Currently being monitored are 930 suspected cases. Another 947 have been ruled out. Of the total confirmed cases, nine (15%) have been transmitted locally—when a link between the infected person and a confirmed case can be established—and 51 (85%) of the cases are imported—i.e. people that traveled overseas.
Confirmed cases in the country are located across nine states: São Paulo (30), Rio de Janeiro (13), Bahia (2), Minas Gerais (1), the Federal District (2), Rio Grande do Sul (4), Paraná (6), Alagoas (1), and Espírito Santo (1).
Funding
Speaking at a lower house meeting with the general commission Wednesday (11) on the new coronavirus, Mandetta argued for the earmarking of $1 billion from the federal budget to tackle Covid-19. The amount will be put towards primary and hospital care to step up initiatives against the virus.
The minister pointed out that the virus’s lethality level is low, but its main impact is its potential to overload the country’s health care system, which will require more agents, beds, supplies, and funds to bolster structure.
“Cases are spiraling up. This leads people to seek health care units. The virus may not have a high lethality level individually, but its lethality may impact the health care system. The higher the angle of the growth line is, the more people will turn to the system simultaneously,” he argued.
Local transmission
Rio de Janeiro authorities today (12) confirmed the first cases of local transmission of the virus within the state. They include a 72-year-old man who lives in the capital as well as his 68-year-old wife. The two show a stable health condition and are isolated at home. The couple did not travel abroad.
*Jonas Valente, reporting for Agência Brasil, contributed to this article.
