Brazil Covid surge reaches a new level
Brazil has exceeded 2,000 Covid-related deaths in one day for the first time, as infection rates soar.
The country gets the second highest death toll in the world, behind the US, with a complete of 268,370 fatalities. Wednesday's total was 2,286.
Experts warn the transmission rate is made worse by more contagious variants.
On Wednesday, former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hit out at President Jair Bolsonaro's "stupid" decisions made through the pandemic.
Mr Bolsonaro, who was simply pictured wearing a mask for the very first time in a month on Wednesday, has constantly sought to downplay the threat posed by the virus. Earlier this week he told people to "stop whining".
The surge in cases has put health systems in almost all of Brazil's major cities under immense pressure, with many near to collapse, Brazil's leading public health centre Fiocruz warns.
Margareth Dalcolmo, a doctor and researcher at Fiocruz said the united states was "at the worst moment of the pandemic".
"2021 is still going to be a very hard year," she told AFP news agency.
On Wednesday, the country recorded 79,876 new cases, the 3rd highest number in a single day. A surge in cases in recent days has been attributed to the spread of an extremely contagious variant of the virus - named P1 - which is considered to have originated in the Amazon city of Manaus.
A complete of 2,286 people died with the virus on Wednesday.
According to Fiocruz, 15 state capitals have intensive care units (ICUs) that are in a lot more than 90% capacity including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Reports say the administrative centre Brasilia has reached full ICU capacity, while two cities - Porto Alegre and Campo Grande - have exceeded capacity.
In its report, the institute warned that figures indicate the "overload and even collapse of health systems".
Brazilian epidemiologist Dr Pedro Hallal told the BBC's Outside Source TV programme: "If we do not start vaccinating the populace here very soon, it will turn into a massive tragedy."
Dr Hallal, who works in Rio Grande do Sul, said people felt "abandoned by the government".
Mr Bolsonaro has belittled the risks posed by the virus right away of the pandemic. He in addition has opposed quarantine measures taken at a regional level, arguing that the harm to the economy would be worse than the ramifications of the virus itself.
Former leader Lula, in his first speech since corruption convictions against him were annulled, told persons never to follow "stupid" decisions by Mr Bolsonaro and "get vaccinated".
Speaking on Wednesday he said "a whole lot of deaths might have been avoided".
Mr Bolsonaro said the criticism was unjustified.
