Brazil surged past Italy’s coronavirus death toll today as the health ministry reported a further 1,473 deaths — the biggest 24-hour increase since the start of the outbreak.
With official figures recording one death per minute from Covid-19, the South American country now has the world’s third highest death toll behind the UK and US.
Some 34,000 people are known to have died from the virus, although experts fear insufficient testing means the true count is far higher.
The official number of infections has risen to nearly 615,000, second only to the US.
For the second straight night, the health ministry delayed the release of Thursday's data until 10pm local time, after Brazil's widely watched evening news program ended.
It was the third straight day with a new daily high for Brazil's coronavirus deaths.
Despite the spiralling public health crisis and images of mass graves that have shocked the country, President Jair Bolsonaro has ordered the easing of lockdown measures across Brazil.
The far-right populist — who in March described coronavirus as “a little flu” — has repeatedly spoken of the need to protect the economy at all costs.
This week he said of victims: “We are sorry for all the dead, but that’s everyone’s destiny”.
