Brazil registers more COVID deaths so far this year than all of last year

Brasilia, April 26 (RHC)-- Brazilian health authorities have reported that so far in 2021, the South American nation has recorded more deaths from COVID-19 than in the entire previous year.

As of this Saturday, Brazil -- with more than 210 million inhabitants -- counted 195,949 deaths from the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus since the beginning of 2021.  This figure exceeds the 194,945 confirmed deaths reported since March 18 -- when the first death in Brazil from the viral disease was registered -- until December 31.

According to specialists' projections, if this trend continues, the South American giant could reach 400,000 deaths due to Covid-19 this week.  Health authorities reported this Sunday that during the last 24 hours they counted 32,572 new infections by the coronavirus, to add up to 14,340,787 accumulated cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

During the day, 1,305 people lost their lives to SARS-CoV-2, for a total of 390,797 deaths, the Ministry of Health indicated in a communiqué.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is the country with the third highest number of people infected by the coronavirus, behind the United States (32.8 million) and India (17.3 million).