MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil admits 486 deaths from Covid-19 and 11,130 positive, but the toll could be much higher

Sao Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest state is the worst hit by the virus

Brazil’s Health Ministry said on Sunday the country’s death toll from COVID-19 has climbed to 486 as 11,130 people tested positive to the coronavirus disease. In the past 24 hours, 54 patients died, up 12.5% compared with the day before, and 852 new infections were detected, placing the mortality rate at 4.4%, said the authorities.

Southeast Brazil, the country’s most populous region, registered 60 percent of the cases (6,678) and 72.2 percent of the deaths (351). The state with the largest caseload is Sao Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest in the country, with 4,620 cases and 275 deaths. It is followed by Rio de Janeiro, also in southeast Brazil, with 1,394 cases and 64 deaths.

In Latin America, Brazil is hardest hit by the coronavirus, with health staff and authorities acknowledging that the actual number of infections could be much higher, since only seriously ill patients receive tests.