Brazil Is Now The No. 2 Coronavirus Hotspot Globally

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Mon. May 25, 2020 (Reuters) – Brazil is now the world’s No. 2 coronavirus hotspot, coming up behind the United States on Sunday.

The country registered 703 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of fatalities to 22,716 last night.

Brazil now has 363,618 confirmed cases and 190,991 active cases. So far, 149,911 have recovered from the virus. The news comes as the White House on Sunday said it was prohibiting most non-U.S. citizens from traveling to the United States if they had been in Brazil in the last two weeks.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the new restrictions would help ensure foreign nationals do not bring additional infections to the United States, but would not apply to the flow of commerce between the two countries.

National security adviser Robert O’Brien earlier on Sunday told CBS’ “Face the Nation” he hoped the move could be reconsidered at some point. The new restrictions bar most non-U.S. citizens who have visited Brazil within the past 14 days. Green card holders, close relatives of U.S. citizens and flight crew members, among select others, would be exempt.

The United States has more than 1.6 million cases and nearly 100,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally based on official reports.

(Reporting by Gabriela Mello; editing by Grant McCool)