This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
June 29, 2020 - Brazil's struggle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a critical point, with the country reporting its worst week yet in terms of new cases and deaths.
According to health ministry figures, Brazil registered 259,105 infections in the seven days through Sunday, a significant increase from previous weeks.
The country also reported its second-highest weekly death toll, with 7,005 people killed, just below the record of 7,285 set the previous week.
Protesters in various cities across Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and others, held demonstrations against President Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the health crisis.
At Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, military police clashed with protesters, using batons to push back a crowd of around 200.
Experts say the real number of infections and deaths in Brazil is probably much higher than the official figures, due to under-testing in the country of 212 million people.
Despite the grim figures, some local authorities are pushing ahead with efforts to reopen their economies, including Rio, which has allowed shops to reopen and football matches to resume.
