The spread of coronavirus in Brazil could be about to slow, the health ministry said, amid reports the transmission rate has fallen below the key level and early signs of a gradual decline in the weekly totals of cases and fatalities.
The cautious optimism comes despite figures again showing a steady rise in the number of confirmed cases and death toll in the last 24 hours, cementing Brazil's status as the world's second biggest Covid-19 hot spot after the United States.
According to ministry data, Brazil has seen a drop in the number of new confirmed cases to 304,684 last week from a peak of 319,653 in the week ending 25 July.