COVID-19 cases, deaths on rise in Brazil, Mexico

The novel coronavirus claimed 1,088 lives in Brazil and 784 in Mexico over the past 24 hours, according to health authorities on Sunday.

In Brazil, the country hit second-hardest by the virus worldwide, the death toll climbed to 93,563, while the number of cases surged to over 2.7 million, including 45,392 infected over the past 24 hours.

The number of recoveries in the country also topped 2 million.

With a population of over 211 million, Brazil is seen as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Latin America.

MEXICO

The death toll in Mexico hit 47,472 with 784 additions over the past day, according to the Health Ministry.

Total cases rose to 434,193, as 9,556 more people tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 284,847 people have recovered from the disease.

The first coronavirus case in Mexico was recorded on Feb. 28 and the first fatality on March 19.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed more than 685,000 people worldwide, with over 17.8 million confirmed cases, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University. Over 10.5 million people have recovered from the disease.