The Brazilian capital, Brasília, will enter a 24-hour blockade regime on Saturday, with an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, reports Reuters.
Why it matters: Hospitals in Brasilia, the third largest city in Brazil, have struggled to keep up with hospitalizations for 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 homes will remain open because they are considered essential services, but all other services will be closed, according to Reuters.
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who lives and works in Brasilia, on Friday threatened to cut federal funding to states that implement blockades, saying they destroy jobs.
The big picture: ICU beds in the capitals of 17 of the 26 Brazilian states this week reached their most critical level since the pandemic began a year ago, according to Reuters.
- Brazil registered 65,169 new cases 1,337 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours.
- In total, the virus killed more than 252,830 people in Brazil, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.