Brazil records 4,000 daily COVID-19 deaths for the first time

• Brazil recorded more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths within 24 hours for the first time in the pandemic.
• Brazil has one of the world's worst outbreaks and the second-highest death toll.
• The country has dug mass graves, and the health system is close to collapse in many areas.

Brazil has recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus deaths within a 24-hour period for the first time.

Brazil has seen its cases and deaths soar, and it is now on track to overtake the US as the country with the highest number of coronavirus deaths, despite its population being two-thirds the size.

Experts also worry that new variants could emerge as the virus spreads out of control. Scientists discovered a more contagious variant in Brazil earlier this year, and researchers say it could spread more easily or reinfect people who have already had the virus. As of Wednesday, Brazil has recorded more than 13 million coronavirus cases and more than 337,000 deaths from the virus.

President Jair Bolsonaro opposes lockdown measures, and he has downplayed the virus throughout the pandemic, spreading misinformation and at one point claiming Brazilians were immune.

He told people last month: "Stop whining. How long are you going to keep crying about it?"

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The country has in the past dug mass graves for its coronavirus dead, with bodies pictured on the streets. The health system is close to collapse in many parts of the country.