Brazil becomes second country with 300,000 Covid deaths

A demonstrator places a Brazil national flag on a mattress symbolising Covid-19 victims during a protest against the government’s handling of the pandemic in Rio de Janeiro (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo/AP)

Brazil has topped 300,000 confirmed Covid-19 deaths, becoming the second country to do so amid a spike in infections that has seen the South American country report record death tolls in recent days.

The US reached the grim milestone on December 14, but has a larger population than Brazil.