Brazil yet again reports record number of coronavirus deaths

Brazil yet again reported a record coronavirus deaths with 1,349 fatalities in a 24-hour period on Wednesday, the health ministry said. 

With the latest updates, the country's death toll jumped to 32,548, with 584,016 confirmed cases, the second-highest worldwide, as the deadly virus continues to raise concerns in this Latin American nation. 

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Experts fear under-testing in Brazil could mean that real numbers are probably much higher. 

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The surge in recent days comes at a time when several Brazilian states have started to open up the economy, thereby ignoring the warnings by epidemiologists and WHO. 

The World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office on Tuesday warned against reopening "too quickly", saying it invites the "risk of a resurgence of COVID-19".

On Tuesday, Sao Paulo reported its highest coronavirus deaths, both the number of infections and deaths, on the day when its cities began reopening shopping malls and offices. 

Rio de Janeiro, the worst-hit state, started reopening beaches and businesses on Tuesday. 

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also faced a lot of criticism for first undermining the severity of the pandemic and speaking against the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the virus. 

The health ministry said on Tuesday that it's impossible to find out when the "peak of deaths will occur" because of the country's size and geographic diversity. 

(With inputs from AFP)