Rio: While Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll surpassed 500,000-mark, thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro’s pandemic response.
Brazil has registered 500,800 deaths from 17,883,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to health ministry data on Saturday, the worst official death toll outside the United States.
Over the past week, Brazil has averaged 2,000 deaths per day. Some 11 percent of Brazilians are fully vaccinated and 29 percent have received a first dose, health ministry data shows.
The virus continues to spread as President Jair Bolsonaro refuses to back measures like social distancing.
The health institute Fiocruz says the situation is “critical”. Only 15% of adults are fully vaccinated.
President Bolsonaro has been heavily criticised for not implementing a co-ordinated national response and for his scepticism toward vaccines, lockdowns and mask-wearing requirements, which he has sought to loosen.
