Brazil has passed 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic. That is the second highest total in the world.
The health ministry said Thursday that the country had 1,524 deaths in the previous 24 hours, rising to a total of 200,498 for the pandemic.
The milestone was reached as Brazilians are once again crowding their beaches.
Many Brazilians have been straining against quarantine for months, going to bars or small gatherings with friends, but massive blowouts had been few and far between since the pandemic began. Then big festivities kicked off after the Southern Hemisphere’s summer started Dec. 21.
