RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil on Wednesday, June 30, reported 2,801 new deaths from Covid-19, bringing the total number of fatalities from the disease in the country to 518,066, the Health Ministry said.
There were also 43,836 new cases of coronavirus, with the total number of infections in the country advancing to 18,557,141, the ministry added.
Brazil is the country with the second-highest number of deaths from the disease, behind only the United States, and the third in case count, below the US and India.
The Brazilian state most affected by Covid-19 in absolute terms, São Paulo has reached the marks of 3,727,348 cases and 127,681 deaths.
Despite the high total numbers, the São Paulo state government reported on Wednesday that pandemic rates have improved in the state, indicating that the intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rate, currently at 74.8%, is below the 75% level for the first time in three months.
In addition, the state also showed for the first time in nine weeks concomitant declines in the numbers of new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. “This, clearly, is the impact of vaccination,” São Paulo Health Secretary Jean Gorinchteyn said at a press conference.