Published 11:07 IST, September 3rd 2020
Brazil records 46,934 new coronavirus cases, tally approaches 4 million mark
The Brazilian Health Ministry said Brazil reported 46,934 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,184 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in past 24 hours.
On September 2, the Brazilian Health Ministry said Brazil reported 46,934 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,184 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in the past 24 hours. Currently, virus cases in Brazil have almost risen to four million, according to latest data by John Hopkins University, Brazil has registered 3,997,865 cases of contagious coronavirus and death toll has risen to 123,780, according to ministry data. Brazil is the second-worst country hit by the COVID-19 pandemic after the United States of America.
Brazil begins trial of Chinese vaccine
The Brazilian city of Niterói in Rio de Janeiro state has begun testing a coronavirus vaccine produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. The trial is being conducted by a partnership between the city government, the Butantan Institute, and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Some 800 of the city's healthcare workers have already applied to participate in the study as volunteers to receive the vaccine. Five other Brazilian states are participating in the Sinovac tests, with 9,000 volunteers in total. Rafael Bastos, an anesthesiologist who volunteered to receive the vaccine, is confident the trial will be a success. "It can solve our public health problem, not only in Brazil but in the world," Bastos said September 1.
Last month Sinovac Biotech started the third phase clinical trial of vaccine testing in Bangladesh. Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Ministry Abdul Mannan reportedly said that Bangladesh will benefit from getting the vaccine. Media reports suggest that the vaccine will be first given to healthcare workers who are fighting at the forefront to curb the spread of the virus and it might take at least six months for the Chinese company to administer the vaccine to the general population of Bangladesh.
Updated 11:07 IST, September 3rd 2020