The South American country is now adding 282,127 deaths from COVID-19, a number only the United States has surpassed. The average for the past seven days is 1,965 daily deaths, nearly three times the 703 at the start of the year, according to Health Ministry data.
The Ministry also reported 83,926 injuries during the past 24 hours, which is the second highest number since the start of the epidemic in February 2020, bringing the total number of infections to 11,603,535.
The new death record is 500 more than the previous figure, 2286, set on March 10.
Experts said the violent recovery of the epidemic in Brazil could soon cause about 3,000 deaths a day, raising the balance to 500,000 or 600,000 before vaccines roll out.
Cardiologist Marcelo Quiroga, appointed by Bolsonaro on Monday to take over the position of health minister (the fourth since the start of the epidemic), on Tuesday called for the “union” to confront the Corona virus.
“It’s a very big agenda [la del ministerio]”Which will require the union of the nation,” Quiroga told reporters after meeting in Brasilia with the outgoing minister, General Eduardo Pazuelo.
He also stressed the importance of expediting vaccination and preventive measures such as wearing masks and washing hands with alcohol-based gel.
“These are simple but important measures” to avoid having to stop a country’s economy, “he said.
Some advice contradicts Bolsonaro’s rhetoric, who has consistently mocked the use of masks and questioned the efficacy or safety of vaccines, not to mention his criticism of confinement measures because of their economic impact.
Pazuelo announced Monday the purchase of 562.9 million vaccines, most of which will arrive during the second semester, to immunize this country of 212 million people.
To date, just over 10 million people have received the first dose and 3.6 million in the second.
Kiruja, who has yet to be sworn in, will have to face the severe crisis in hospitals.
A report by the prestigious Fiucru Institute noted that analyzing indicators such as ambulatory infection and mortality rates as well as occupancy rates in adult intensive care units “indicates a very critical situation across the country.” . Posted on Tuesday evening.
The document indicated that 24 of the 27 Brazilian states have occupancy equal to or more than 80% of the beds in ICUs and that the country’s 19 capitals have this rate above 90%, such as Rio Grande do Sul (100%) and Santa Fe. Catarina (99%).
“This is the largest health and hospital breakdown in the history of Brazil,” according to Fucruz researchers.
The institute urges the authorities to implement “greater strictness in measures to restrict non-essential activities,” as well as more measures “social distancing, the widespread use of masks, and the acceleration of vaccination.”
Even “lockdown” is a strategy that must be considered in the most dangerous situations, Fiucruz recommends.
Saint Paul
While political and social tension continues in Brazil due to the large numbers of daily deaths due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the health collapse in several cities as a result, according to the opposition, the irregular handling of the situation by the government of Jair Bolsonaro, San Pablo began two weeks of severe restrictions last night, with a night curfew.
São Paulo, the largest economic center in Latin America, has begun two weeks of strict restrictions against the epidemic, with a night curfew, as its numbers set a new record for deaths: 679 in the last 24 hours in the state.
According to Brazil’s government agency, the previous highest number was last Friday, with 521 deaths.
“The danger is clearly imminent, because in a week or ten days we might not have more intensive care beds,” said Edson Aparecido, Sao Paulo’s Minister of Health. “Patients arrive from other cities, we open intensive care beds every day, but this is not enough,” he added.
At the same time, he said, the country is “going through a dramatic week, and it is clear that at some point there will be a depletion of the system, for the people to realize and support the isolation.”
The crisis affects not only the Unified Health System (SUS, public), but also the private network. “Private hospitals asked us for 30 rooms for patients, and we received them, and obviously, then we will see how the payment problem is solved” by the private health companies, the official said. (Ansa).
The order confining São Paulo residents to their homes is part of the “emergency phase”, the most stringent, that Governor Joao Doria issued on Thursday to counter what he described as the “most dangerous moment” of the epidemic. 280,000 dead in the Latin American giant, a figure only surpassed by the United States.
According to Agence France-Presse, the closure appeared to have taken place obediently, despite the presence of crowds on public transport.
“I think everything is still the same, the subway was as usual,” said Elisa, 33, who left early to the design company in Penros, west of the city, where she is doing the cleaning work.
The government has ordered people like it, who are not performing essential tasks, to stay at home to avoid contagion at a time when hospitals are close to collapse: In Brazil’s richest state, where 46.2 million people live, 89% of intensive care beds are located. Busy.
The parks and beaches will be closed until the end of the monthOffice workers should work remotely and the authorities have requested that the number of classes be reduced to an essential minimum, among other measures.
“I have to come to work; if I don’t show up, bosses will simply say to me, ‘Go away,’” said Elisa, whose name has been changed to avoid potential reprisals. “Since things are tough, I’m still here.”
She said that without pay, she would be evicted because she was unable to pay the rent for her house, as she lives with her teenage daughter, and if she does not go to the company, she is fired.
In the Pinheiros commercial district, most of the stores are closed. Some restaurants have had their doors open, waiting for home delivery to begin, and are their only source of sales due to the ban on bringing the building request.
A few pedestrians wandered along the Jardim Paulista’s roads. Activity in that residential and commercial area was at its lowest yesterday, unlike other areas where restrictions were not respected.
Between Friday and Sunday, when a less stringent phase was in effect, authorities found nearly 200 stores in violation of the restrictions.
São Paulo is the state with the highest number of deaths (64,223), although in relative terms it is less affected than Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas or Brasilia.
Yesterday, the governorate left the planning district for the possibility of imposing strict quarantine in the absence of results in the “emergency phase”.
His former ally Bolsonaro opposes the lockdowns due to their economic impact, while downplaying the importance of the pandemic and criticizing vaccines.
