Brazil reports 3,472 more deaths

RIO DE JANEIRO- The COVID-19 death toll mounted to 381,475 in Brazil after 3,472 more patients died of the virus in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, tests detected 79,719 new COVID- 19 cases, bringing the national count to 14,122,795, said the ministry.
A new wave of infections has been confronting the South American country, leading to a rise in hospitalizations, deaths and the collapse of a large part of the Brazilian public healthcare system.
The most populated state of Sao Paulo is the hardest hit with 2,786,483 cases and 90,627 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 712,525 infections and 42,110 deaths.
Brazil currently has a mortality rate of 182 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants and an incidence rate of 6,720 registered cases per 100,000 people.
According to the National Council of Health Secretariats, the daily average of cases in the past seven days stood at 64,184 with a daily average death toll of 2,779.
As of Tuesday, Brazil had vaccinated 37.8 million people against COVID-19, with 27.17 million, or 12.83 percent of the population, receiving the first dose and 10.71 million, or 5.06 percent, receiving both doses. Enditem  (Xinhua)