Brazil passes India for world's second-highest Covid-19 cases

BRASILIA • Brazil surpassed India in coronavirus infections, retaking the position of second hardest-hit country in the world, as it rushes to contain the spread of the virus that is wreaking havoc across the vast Latin American nation.

The country reported 85,663 new cases on Friday, pushing the total to 11,363,380. The number of deaths rose by 2,216, bringing the tally to 275,105.

Now, Brazil trails only the United States in deaths and infections globally.

While a mix of aggressive social distancing restrictions and mass vaccinations have caused infections to decline across much of the world in recent weeks, Brazil is currently going through its worst phase of the pandemic.

Cases and deaths have surged, following year-end gatherings and clandestine carnival festivities, while a new, more transmissible variant is accelerating contagion.

Dr Raquel Stucchi, an infectious disease expert, said: "It will likely still get worse because despite the restrictions announced by governors and mayors, the federal government continues to insist they are not necessary."

Since the virus first arrived a year ago, health experts have criticised President Jair Bolsonaro's dismissal of the disease and the lack of a national policy to fight it.

Restrictions have varied from city to city and are often eased only to be reimposed weeks later.

Since hitting a peak last September of almost 100,000 fresh daily infections, Covid-19 cases have plunged across India to just over a tenth that, although some states have recently seen a pick-up.

Deaths have likewise fallen to fewer than 100 a day from over 1,000 seen six months ago.

The steady decline has puzzled scientists, with many pointing at multiple factors from India's relatively youthful population to surveys that suggest herd immunity in some areas in the country.

BLOOMBERG