Brazil registers 8,639 daily cases of coronavirus, 182 more COVID deaths

Brazil has had only 8,639 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and just 182 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

With more than 70% of Brazilians now vaccinated with a first dose, the rolling seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths has fallen to under 500 from almost 3,000 a day at the peak of the pandemic in April. Sunday's death toll was the lowest for a Sunday since Nov. 15, 2020.

The South American country has now registered 21,575,820 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 601,011, according to ministry data, in the world's third-worst outbreak and the second deadliest.