BRASILIA : Brazil is reopening despite the threat of the COVID-19 delta variant.
This variant globally increases the incidence of infection and death after a period of decline, and the World Health Organization predicts that it will become dominant in a few months. Efforts are intensifying to vaccinate as many Brazilians as possible.
Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga says vaccinating the majority of the population is the best way to stop the variant, but insists Brazil must continue its economic activities, the AP reported.
Read More
- Over 22,000 NRIs arrive in Kerala to vote as second phase of India’s Lok Sabha elections begins on Friday
- UAE Cabinet allocates AED2 billion to stand by UAE citizens with rain-damaged homes
- King Salman of Saudi Arabia admitted to hospital for routine checkups
- Race against time: Family of Indian nurse on death row in Yemen seeks pardon
- EU announces new Schengen visa rules with longer validity, easier access to Indian nationals
President Jair Bolsonaro has long opposed restrictions and reduced the risks of COVID-19, often saying that infections are inevitable. Lawmakers have launched an investigation into how his administration dealt with the pandemic, especially as officials appear to have been slow to procure vaccines.
By Friday, the Brazilian Ministry of Health had counted 140 cases of the delta variant, including its three most populous states, and 12 deaths. Analysts say the numbers are actually significantly higher due to a lack of genome testing and sequencing. (ANI/FENA)