Brazil's Covid toll nears 160,500

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 04 (Xinhua): Brazil's Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported 11,843 new COVID-19 cases and 243 more deaths, raising the total caseload to 5,566,049 and the death toll to 160,496.
The southeast state of Sao Paulo, the most populous state in the country, is most affected by the virus, with 1,118,544 infections and 39,364 deaths, followed by neighboring Rio de Janeiro, with 313,089 cases and 20,651 deaths.
In recent weeks, Brazil has seen a decline in both deaths and new cases.
In this context, the mayor's office of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's main tourist destination and the second largest city, announced lifting restrictions on going to beaches and on the presence of street vendors.
The office also announced the opening of all private schools and nurseries, while in public schools, in-person classes are voluntary.