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A tribute to the victims was held on the beach in Copacabana of Rio de Janeiro
Brazil has recorded more than 100,000 deaths linked to Covid-19, the second highest figure in the world, as the outbreak in the country shows no signs of abating.
The virus killed 50,000 people in three months, but that number doubled in just 50 days. There have been more than three million confirmed cases so far.
The pandemic has yet to catch up, but shops and restaurants have already reopened.
President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the impact of the virus and opposed measures that could hurt the economy.
The far-right judge, who dealt with and repaired the disease himself, fought restrictions imposed by state officials to restrict Covid-19, and has often joined crowds of supporters, sometimes without a face mask.
Experts have complained about the lack of a coordinated plan by the Bolsonaro government, as local authorities are now focusing on restarting the economy, which is likely to boost the spread of the virus.
The reaction of the federal government is led by an army general who has no experience in public health. Two former health ministers, both doctors, left the job after disagreeing with the president over social distance measures and the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, although studies say it is ineffective and even dangerous.
President Bolsonaro – who called Covid-19 a “minor flu” and has been criticized at home and abroad for his response to the outbreak – said he had recovered from his own infection thanks to the anti-malarial medication.
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Brazil has had 100,477 virus-related deaths and 3,012,412 cases, according to the Ministry of Health, although the numbers are believed to be much higher due to insufficient testing. Only the United States has higher numbers.
“We should live in despair, because this is a tragedy like a world war. But Brazil is under collective anesthesia,” Dr José Davi Urbaez, a former member of the Infectious Diseases Society, told Reuters.
“The government’s message today is, ‘Catch your coronavirus and if it’s serious, there is intensive care.’ That’s closing our policy today.”
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EPA
President Bolsonaro greets supporters on his first trip after returning from Covid-19 last month
There are fears that the disease is spreading rapidly in addicted neighborhoods and remote areas, such as indigenous communities, where access to adequate health care is difficult.
In a tribute to victims on Saturday, the non-governmental group Rio de Paz placed crosses on the sand on Rio de Janeiro’s famous Copacabana beach and released 1,000 red balloons into the air.
First Chamber member Davi Alcolumbre announced four days of mourning in Congress, but President Bolsonaro has not yet commented. Earlier this week, he said he was sorry for all the dead, but suggested “we should continue [our] wennet “.
Brazil accounts for nearly half of all coronavirus-related deaths recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean, where more than five million cases have been confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins University, which monitors the disease worldwide.
Some of the other hard-hit countries include Mexico – which has the third-highest death toll in the world with 52,000 and nearly 476,000 cases – Peru, Colombia and Chile.
Experts say a combination of overcrowded cities, poverty and disease-prone health systems is contributing to the outbreak in the region.
