Brazil coronavirus death toll hits new record in one day

Deaths amounted to over 600, raising the total to 7,921

Published on 06/05/2020 - 11:25 By Jonas Valente - Brasília

Brazil has reached a new record in the number of deaths from COVID-19 registered in a day: 600. According to official figures updated on Tuesday (May 5), the total rose to 7,921, up eight percent from Monday (4), when the death toll reached 7,321. The lethality rate stood at 6.9 percent.

Infected people in the country totaled 114,715. In the last 24 hours, another 6,935 confirmed cases were added to the statistics, up six percent from the previous day’s 107,780.

Of these, 58,573 are reported as being monitored (51.1%), and 48,221 (42%) have recovered and no longer run symptoms of the disease. The number of deaths under investigation is 1,579.

Health Surveillance Secretary Wanderson de Oliveira pointed out that the number of deaths refers to obits registered on this date, not necessarily deaths that actually took place in the last 24 hours. In other words, it includes deaths from days before whose investigation was concluded in the last 24 hours. São Paulo is still the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, with the highest number of deaths (2,851).

Social distancing

Wanderson de Oliveira reported that the ministry team met with state health secretaries to discuss efforts to tackle the pandemic. He talked about measures adopted in certain places, like the lockdown in Maranhão.

“It’s a complex measure. All of the secretaries are deliberating, as the impact can be rather negative, but the Health Ministry is willing to support them. The decision is up to local leaders. These are temporary measures that should be proportionate and limited to each location,” he argued.

When asked when the peak of the pandemic is likely to be observed, he answer that it is difficult to make an accurate estimate, and that the evolution of the disease will vary from place to place, depending on measures like social distancing, which flattens and prolongs the contagion curve. He did estimate, however, that the pandemic will still be a major concern in May and July.

Oliveira went on to say that 1.6 million lab tests and 3.4 million quick tests have been delivered to state and municipal health authorities. On the promise to conduct 24 million tests, he said it is a considerable amount, adding that manufacturers accepted the delivery deadline without specifying when all kits should be available.

Due to the insufficient number of tests, the secretary advocated  monitoring people with a cold and those who had contact with them. He also said that the government is expected to launch a digital monitoring system in addition to the current one, to collect data through phone calls.

Translation: Fabrício Ferreira -  Edition: Liliane Farias

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