Brazil mayor pleads for international help

On the day that Brazil registered 600 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, the Mayor of Manaus, one of the most affected cities, asked world leaders for help to overcome the health crisis.

In a letter sent to 21 embassies and video messages sent to world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Donald Trump,  Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, Mayor Arthur Virgilio Neto, asked for medical equipment such as scanners and protective gear.

"Manaus demands from you, computer tomography (scanners), scanners, respirators (ventilators), and personal protective equipment," Neto said.

Manaus has been so ravaged by the virus that mass graves are being dug in city cemeteries.

Neto said he would like to get a lockdown, but that would depend on police and on his political adversary Governor Wilson Lima, who remains reluctant to order a full lockdown.

By Tuesday Amazonas state registered 649 deaths, 459 of them in Manaus, the only city with Intensive Care Units.

The state has 8,100 confirmed cases, 4,800 in its capital.

Brazil's health ministry has reported 7,921 deaths and 114,715 confirmed cases.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the new coronavirus can cause more severe illness and lead to death.