In the last few days, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have registered a surge in hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19. In Rio this week, 90% of the intensive care units in public hospitals were occupied, according to the Rio state health secretary's office. But this week through Thursday, the average for daily deaths rose to 480 and cases to 26,500. "We are now at risk of a second wave without even leaving the first wave," said epidemiologist Roberto Medronho, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) medical school. Sao Paulo state announced this week that it would institute unspecified precautions around New Year celebrations but that it had ruled out another lockdown.

Source: bd News24 November 21, 2020 08:37 UTC