Brasilia, April 23 (RHC)-- In Brazil, the largest cemetery in the city of Manaus has begun digging mass graves to handle 100 burials a day — more than three times the usual rate, suggesting COVID-19 has taken a much larger toll on the city than the official figure of 156 deaths.
The public health system in the state of Amazonas has collapsed, with 100% of hospital beds occupied, little safety equipment for medical workers, and ventilators in critically short supply.
Meanwhile, satellite data show deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has accelerated since the pandemic idled environmental enforcement agents.