A man wearing a mask walks in the street amid COVID-19 outbreak in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Aug. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)
Many cities and states eased masking and social distancing requirements this month after the surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant at the beginning of this year faltered due to widespread vaccination campaigns, according to experts.
SAO PAULO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazil registered 45,020 new COVID-19 cases and 389 related deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its total caseload to 29,350,134 and national death toll to 654,945, the Ministry of Health said Saturday.
Many cities and states eased masking and social distancing requirements this month after the surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant at the beginning of this year faltered due to widespread vaccination campaigns, according to experts.
As of Friday, 157.3 million people, or 73.24 percent of the population, had been fully vaccinated and 68.8 million, 32.05 percent of the population, had received a booster dose, according to official data.
Brazil ranks second worldwide in the number of COVID-19 fatalities, behind the United States, and third in caseload, following the United States and India. ■
