Brazil Has Passed 400,000 Deaths Because Of Slow Vaccination
In Brazil, the number of deaths related to Covid19 has passed 400,000. It is the second-highest in the world and the country is continuing to struggle because of its vaccination program.
In 24 hours, there have been 3,001 deaths after it had reached the peak of 4,000 at the beginning of April.
The 14-day average of the number of cases as well as deaths has remained high but there is a slight fall.
An inquiry has been opened by Congress into the government’s handling the current situation of a pandemic.
Jair Bolsonaro, the President, who has spoken out frequently against the lockdowns and masks and also defended unproved drugs as treatment has been facing widespread criticism and the support has also plummeted.
The entire outbreak has been fuelled by a more transmissible variant of the virus. It has also happened because of a dearth of coordinated national measures. In many areas, the situation has already improved and it includes areas where the health system has been on the brink of collapse after cities and states have imposed restrictions but they have already been eased.
The rate of occupancy at the intensive care unit beds has remained at or above 90% in more than one-third of the states. The reports came according to Fiocruz that has said that the situation has remained critical.
The institute said in a report that there is a tendency of slight fall but it has not yet contained the epidemic. There has been a warning that the daily number of deaths is likely to remain high.
In just 37 days, Brazil has recorded 100,000 deaths between March and April. These were probably the worst months in the country. The country is only behind the US with a higher death toll.
Brazil has seen more than 14.5 million cases since the start of the pandemic. For the moment, some cities have to temporarily halt their vaccination program because of a shortage of doses. Almost 13% of the population of 212 million people in Brazil has received at least one dose according to the data tracker by Our World.
It is a horrific toll and Brazil could have avoided it if lockdowns were imposed and vaccines are bought more quickly. But President Bolsonaro acted reluctantly and Brazil has been mourning the death of more than 400,000 people.
Only about 13% of the Brazilian population has received one vaccine dose and both shots were received by 6%. One of the issues that are to be blamed is slow procurement. A senate inquiry is now going to examine the fault as the government has last year turned down the offers of tens of millions of shots from Pfizer. The parliamentary commission can recommend the impeachment of the President or even criminal charges.
The pandemic has fed the deep political polarization of Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro has been playing to the conservative support base as Brazil continues to count the deaths.
