- Title: Brazil tops 2 million coronavirus cases as outbreak worsens
- Date: 16th July 2020
- Summary: BRASILIA, BRAZIL (JULY 16, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF HEALTH MINISTRY BRAZILIAN FLAG FLYING LOCAL RESIDENT, SOCORRO MEDEIROS, WALKING ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) LOCAL RESIDENT, SOCORRO MEDEIROS, SAYING: "We don't have a government and we haven't had a health ministry for a while. Since Mandetta (former health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta who was fired by President Bolsonaro) left we've been adrift for a while. It might be time to join forces: the Senate, the lower chamber, the opposition. Everyone should join together for the people and not think of politics right now, this isn't the time to think of politics." RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (JULY 16, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF FIELD HOSPITAL SET UP TO TREAT COVID-19 PATIENTS SIGN READING (Portuguese) "CAUTION, BIOLOGICAL RISK"
- Embargoed: 30th July 2020 21:07
- Keywords: 000 2 Brazil Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro cases confirmed coronavirus deaths infections numbers pandemic record two million
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, SAO PAULO & BRASILIA, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, SAO PAULO & BRASILIA, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA005CN28WG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Brazil topped more than 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday (July 16), hitting that grim milestone at an alarming pace as anger grows over President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the outbreak.
Just 27 days have passed since Brazil, which has the world's second-largest outbreak after the United States, reached a million cases. It has accelerated since then, hitting a plateau of nearly 40,000 confirmed new cases per day in recent weeks, according to government figures.
Despite the rapid spread of the virus, Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has pressured local governments to lift lockdown restrictions.
By contrast, 43 days passed between 1 million and 2 million confirmed cases in the United States, where the spread of COVID-19 eased briefly in May before accelerating again in June, according to a Reuters tally.
Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, is home to around 210 million people - roughly two-thirds the size of the U.S. population.
In both countries, contagion has exploded as the virus gains steam in new areas far from the largest cities. A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government.
Bolsonaro, who tested positive for the virus last week, has played down its health risks and fought against social distancing orders, calling their economic effects worse than the disease itself. Under pressure, many governors and mayors have loosened restrictions in recent weeks, fueling bigger outbreaks.
Brazil's Health Ministry reported an accumulated 1,966,748 cases on Wednesday (July 15) evening, with 75,366 related deaths.
Polls show Bolsonaro's popularity has been sinking during the pandemic. The share of Brazilians that see his government as bad or terrible has risen to 44% according to a late June survey by pollster Datafolha. That was up from 38% in April and 36% in December.
(Production: Leandra Camera, Sergio Queiroz, Leonardo Benassatto, Pablo Garcia, Sebastian Rocandio) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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