Brazil has recorded 37,923 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and more than a thousand deaths.
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Brazil has registered more than 1.5 million cases since the pandemic began, as well as 1091 deaths on Friday while cumulative deaths total 64,265, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attended a US Independence Day celebration in Brazil's capital on Saturday at which participants declined to wear face masks, one day after he vetoed obligatory use of masks in private settings.
Bolsonaro shared photos on social media of himself, four Cabinet ministers, other top aides and US Ambassador Todd Chapman, none of whom were wearing masks despite being in close quarters.
Health experts recommend social distancing and wearing masks to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus. Bolsonaro on Friday vetoed clauses of new legislation that would have required Brazilians to wear masks at churches, schools, shops, factories and private gatherings, but approved their obligatory use on the street and public transport.
An outspoken admirer of US President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has made tighter relations with the US the cornerstone of his foreign policy since assuming office January 1, 2019.
Australian Associated Press