Corona infections cross one million-mark in Brazil

Coronavirus cases has crossed one million-mark in Brazil as off  Friday, as the number of infections and deaths continues to surge in Latin America's largest country.

The country’s health ministry said that the total now stood at 10,32,913, up more than 50,000 from Thursday. The ministry said the sharp increase was due to corrections of previous days’ underreported numbers.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still downplays the risks of the virus after nearly 50,000 deaths from COVID-19 in three months, saying the impact of social isolation measures on the economy could be worse than the disease itself.

The health ministry said it had recorded a one-day record of 54,771 new infections -- largely due to "instability" in its reporting system during the week, which meant some states were reporting figures from multiple days at once.

Experts say under-testing in the country of 212 million people means the real numbers are probably much higher, although the infection curve is finally showing signs of flattening.

Dhaka/Mukul