Brazil COVID-19 death toll hits 28,834, surpassing hard-hit France

Brazil on Saturday reached 28,834 coronavirus fatalities, authorities said, surpassing hard-hit France and becoming the country with the world's fourth-highest death toll.

At the epicenter of South America's coronavirus outbreak, Brazil, according to the Health Ministry, saw an increase of 33,274 cases in the past 24 hours which brings the country's total caseload to 498,444, the second-highest in the world, lagging only behind the United States.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro remain the hardest-hit states in Brazil in terms of sheer numbers, while per capita rates are higher in the country's impoverished north and northeast, where health facilities are reaching capacity.