Brasilia, July 23 (RHC)-- The number of global COVID-19 cases has now topped 15 million.  On Wednesday, Brazil set a new single-day record with nearly 68,000 new cases and almost 1,300 deaths.  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has extended his two-week quarantine after testing positive again for the coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, one of Brazil’s most influential Indigenous leaders, Aritana Yawalapiti, is in an intensive care unit being treated for COVID-19.  

In South Africa, nearly 600 died from the virus on Wednesday — a new single-day high. India also set a new record with nearly 46,000 new cases over the past 24 hours.  The overall death toll in India is now approaching 30,000. 

In Guatemala, public health officials are reporting COVID-19 is spreading inside one of the nation’s largest public hospitals as overcrowding is causing non-COVID patients to come into contact with infected patients.