Brazil reports 17,341 new coronavirus cases, 293 more deaths

FILE PHOTO: A nurse carries out a swab test on a patient as part of the new measures of Rio de Janeiro's government against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sao Goncalo, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Brazil recorded 17,341 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, along with 293 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Brazil has registered more than 7.7 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began 10 months ago, while the official death toll has risen to 196,018, according to ministry data.

(Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Aurora Ellis)