Red roses placed in tribute to Brazil’s Covid victims at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro
BRASILIA, June 24 (NNN-Xinhua) — BRAZIL on Wednesday reported a record daily high of 115,228 new COVID-19 cases, taking the national tally to 18,169,881, the Ministry of Health said.
Some 2,392 more people died from the disease in the same period, raising the national death toll to 507,109.
Sao Paulo, the most populous state, remains as the country’s hardest-hit region, where lockdown restrictions are extended until July 15 due to continuous increase in cases and hospitalizations.
Several states, including Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana, have seen their healthcare systems overwhelmed.
Brazil has the world’s second-highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest outbreak, behind the United States and India.
ARGENTINA on Wednesday reported 27,319 new COVID-19 cases and 706 deaths in 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed infections to 4,326,101 and the death toll to 90,986.
In its daily pandemic report, the Ministry of Health said the number of new cases has declined in recent weeks, with a 22.5 percent drop in the positivity rate of testing in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, which includes the capital and some 40 surrounding municipalities.
Some 290,792 cases remain active, including 7,241 in intensive care units, while the occupancy rate of intensive care unit beds remains at 72.8 percent nationwide and 70.9 percent in the capital metropolitan area.
The Argentine government is moving forward with its vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with some 18,870,108 doses applied as of Wednesday, and 3,787,691 people fully vaccinated. — NNN-XINHUA
