⚠️ UPDATE: Covid-19 cases in Brazil top 10,000

The Brazilian Health Ministry’s latest Covid-19 update has been released:

• 431 deaths;
• 10,278 cases
• 4.2-percent lethality rate.

The country registered 72 new deaths (20 percent more than the last update) and 1,222 new cases (a 13-percent bump). This was the highest number of infections registered in one day — for four straight days, Brazil has posted a four-digit number for new cases.

Deputy Health Minister João Gabbardo dos Reis, however, has told reporters that Brazil’s Covid-19 spread curve “is fine.” He added: “If we look at between the 100th case until today, our curve is fine, below those of Spain, Italy, and the U.S.” That is, indeed, true, as the chart below reveals. But as we reported earlier in this live blog, at least five states could see cases skyrocket at a fast pace — not to mention the danger of underreporting due to a lack of testing, as reporters Brenno Grillo and Lucas Berti have explained.

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