The number of deaths related to Covid-19 has passed 500,000 in Brazil, the second-highest in the world, as experts say the outbreak could worsen amid slow vaccination and the start of winter.
The outbreak in Brazil has been fuelled by more transmissible variants of the virus, including the one first identified in the Amazon region and now known as Gamma.
The rate of occupancy of intensive care unit beds remains at or above 80% in most states, and experts warn the start of winter in the southern hemisphere, next week, could result in more infections.
On Twitter, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga expressed solidarity with the “fathers, mothers, friends and relatives” of those who had died, saying: “500,000 lives lost due to the pandemic that affects our Brazil and the whole world.”
The government’s response to the pandemic is being investigated by Congress.
President Bolsonaro has been chastised for not coordinating a national response and for his skepticism of vaccines, lockdowns, and mask-wearing restrictions, all of which he has pushed to relax.
The president has been accused by the opposition of delaying vaccine purchases for political reasons, as he has continuously downplayed the severity of the pandemic.
