Brazil on Tuesday tallied its highest daily jump in coronavirus deaths — 1,179 — as the country’s president continued to promote chloroquine as a possible treatment to the illness.
The nation’s highest reported daily deaths from the virus before Tuesday was 881 on May 12.
Tuesday in Brazil also marked the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases, 17,408, raising the country’s total infection count to 271,628, according to its Health Ministry.
The South American country has the third-highest number of confirmed infections globally.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who opposes coronavirus lockdown measures meant to keep populations apart, said new guidelines will be issued Wednesday promoting the use of the anti-malarial drug chloroquine to treat the coronavirus.
Bolsonaro on Tuesday also revealed that he always keeps a supply of the drug on hand in case his 93-year-old mother needs it.
Two of Brazil’s past health ministers, trained doctors, resigned in the past month as Bolsonaro defies public health expert advice.
With Post wires
