A health care worker administering a coronavirus vaccine in Brasilia, Brazil, Feb. 10. Photo: Xinhua/Lucio Tavora via Getty Images
The Brazilian capital of Brasilia will enter a 24-lockdown on Saturday as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Hospitals in Brasilia, the third-largest city in Brazil, have struggled to keep up with hospitalizations from the virus. More than 80% of the city's intensive care beds are occupied, according to Reuters.
Details: Shops, pharmacies, gas stations, churches and funeral parlors will remain open because they are considered essential services, but all other services will shut down, per Reuters.
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who lives and works in Brasilia, on Friday threatened to cut off federal funding to states that implement lockdowns, saying they destroy jobs.
The big picture: ICU beds in the capitals of 17 of Brazil’s 26 states this week hit their most critical level since the pandemic began a year ago, according to Reuters.
- Brazil reported 65,169 new cases 1,337 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours.
- In total, the virus has killed more than 252,830 people in Brazil, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.