This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
On June 20, 2020, Brazil surpassed the United States as the second country in the world to confirm over one million cases of COVID-19, with a record number of new cases reported in the past 24 hours.
The health ministry reported more than 54,000 new cases, bringing the total to over 1 million, with nearly 49,000 deaths.
Experts warn that the true figures are higher due to a lack of testing, and the outbreak is weeks away from its peak.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the pandemic was entering a 'new and dangerous' phase, with cases rising as people grow weary of lockdowns and governments seek to restart their economies.
Latin America is experiencing a spike in infections, with major outbreaks in countries such as Chile and Peru, and Mexico surpassing 20,000 virus-related deaths.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for his response to the crisis, clashing with state governors and mayors who have adopted strict restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
As the situation in Brazil remains dire, there is a widespread wish to restart the economy, with analysts forecasting a contraction between 6% and 8% this year and millions of jobs lost.
