Brazil's COVID-19 cases surpassed 5.5 million on Thursday, while its death toll rose to 159,477 after another 508 fatalities were reported, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Brazil registered 22,282 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of infections to 5,516,658, according to the ministry.
Brazil ranks second in the world in the number of deaths from the disease, only behind the United States, and third in the number of cases, after the United States and India.
The state of Sao Paulo is the state most affected by the pandemic, with 39,255 deaths and 1,113,788 cases.
The city of Sao Paulo, capital of the state and the largest city in South America, will reopen public parks on Saturday on weekends and holidays.