Brazil sees around 500 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours

The death toll in Brazil from the novel coronavirus outbreak surged to 11,123 with 496 fatalities in the last 24 hours, health officials reported on Sunday.

The Health Ministry in the Latin American country said diagnosed cases climbed to nearly 162,700 with 6,670 new infections.

The first virus-linked death in the region was reported in Brazil, and the country, which has a population of nearly 210 million, is one of the worst hit.

Meanwhile, President Jair Bolsonaro is under fire for trying to relax amid the pandemic crisis, local media reported.

After canceling a reported barbecue with 30 guests due to public criticism, Bolsonaro instead decided to go jet-skiing in the capital Brasilia’s Lake Paranoa, a choice which also proved unpopular.