A man walks in front of a graffiti of a boy wearing a face mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
Brazil reported a record number of daily cases from coronavirus as the pandemic continues to rage across Latin America’s largest nation.
The country, which trails only the U.S. in cases and deaths, reported 34,918 new cases, bringing the number of infections to 923,189. The data compiled by Brazilian states also showed 1,282 new fatalities, pushing the total toll to 45,241.
The pandemic shows no signs of wavering as cases that were concentrated in capitals and the Southeast have spread inland and to poorer regions of the country of 210 million people.
At the same time, several states and cities have started to lift quarantine orders in the past few weeks, sparking concern about a new wave of infections.
Estimates from PUC University in Rio de Janeiro show cases will likely surpass 1.3 million by late June, with more than 60,000 deaths.
Brazil’s response to the pandemic has been plagued by political infighting, a lack of national coordination and allegations of corruption.
This morning, police carried out search and seizure orders in the Northeast of the country, targeting the state of Pernambuco and its capital Recife.
The investigations target alleged irregularities in the use of funds in the fight against the disease, and follow similar raids in Rio de Janeiro and Para over the past few weeks.
