Brazil reports rise in new COVID-19 infections as Omicron variant spreads

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Sao Paulo
A man gets tested by a health worker for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Basic Health Unit in Sao Paulo, Brazil January 6, 2022. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

BRASILIA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Brazil has had 63,292 new cases of the coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and 181 deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry said on Friday.

That is the highest number of daily infections since July last year. Health experts say the Omicron variant is spreading in the South American country.

Brazil has now registered 22,450,222 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 619,822, according to ministry data. Brazil's COVID-19 death toll trails only the United States and Russia, according to Reuters calculations.

Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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