Prognosis

Brazil Cases Top 5 Million as Debate Shifts From Virus to Fiscal

Pace of new cases slowing even with flareups in early hotspots
IMF said Brazil’s economy faces exceptionally high risks

A worker wearing protective gear buries the casket of a Covid-19 victim at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Photographer: Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg

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By Julia Leite and Murilo Fagundes

October 7, 2020 at 9:09 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Brazil hit the 5-million mark for confirmed infections as mishmash quarantine measures continue to fade and the raging health crisis gives way to a fierce debate on how to support those hit by the pandemic-induced economic downturn.

The Latin American country reported 31,553 new cases Wednesday, pushing the total to 5,000,694. Deaths rose by 734 to 148,228, according to data from the health ministry. The real toll is likely much higher, according to health experts, due to a widespread shortage of testing.