Brazil was set to pass 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, as the virus continues to ravage Latin America's largest country even as cities reopen bars, restaurants and gyms sparking fears infections will keep rising.
Brazil has the world's second largest outbreak after the United States and the virus has killed over 60,000 people in the country.
Pictures of the revelry in Leblon, where few were wearing face masks and people were huddled close together, went viral on social media drawing condemnation and concern. In Rio alone, more than 6,600 people have died of Covid-19 in the past four months. Only 14 countries in the world have a death toll higher than the city. Intensive care units in public hospitals are at 70% capacity.President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticized by health experts for downplaying the severity of the virus which he has dismissed as just "a little flu." Bolsonaro has pressured governors and mayors for months to reverse lockdown measures and reopen the economy.
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