"Enough whining." Brazil's worsening coronavirus outbreak, and their president's response.

"Enough fussing and whining. How much longer will the crying go on?"

That is the question asked by Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, amid the country's worst coronavirus outbreak yet.

Brazil, who has a population of 211 million and has the second highest COVID-19 death toll behind America, is currently experiencing their highest number of deaths from the pandemic yet, with their health care system now on the brink of collapse.

But despite the crisis, the country's far-right leader has consistently undermined and criticised social-distancing measures and downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic.

"How much longer will you stay at home and close everything? No one can stand it anymore. We regret the deaths, again, but we need a solution," the leader asked last Thursday.

The President's comments came as the second wave triggered new restrictions in its capital Brasilia, and its largest city, Sao Paulo.

Rio de Janeiro also on Thursday announced a city-wide curfew and early closing time for restaurants as measures to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus.

The Health Ministry registered 75,102 additional cases of coronavirus on Thursday, the most in a single day since July and the second-highest on record.

Watch: How to talk to anti-vaxxers. Post continues below. 

Whilst the vaccine rollout in other countries has seen a decline in new cases, Brazil's federal government has been slow to purchase and distribute vaccines for coronavirus, with less than 3.5 per cent of their total population receiving the vaccination so far, according to AAP. That is compared to about 17 per cent of the American population who have been vaccinated.

Scientists say Brazil's failure to control coronavirus is a global threat.

Speaking to The Guardian, Duke University neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis said: "The world must vehemently speak out over the risks Brazil is posing to the fight against the pandemic."

"What’s the point in sorting the pandemic out in Europe or the United States, if Brazil continues to be a breeding ground for this virus?"

He went on to say Brazil has been "the worst country in the world in its handling of the pandemic," and added the major global concern is for the risk of "new mutations and the appearance of even more lethal variants," to emerge from Brazil.

The COVID-19 variant that is currently spreading in Brazil is twice as transmissible as the original variant and is more likely to re-infect someone who has already had the virus, according to the Financial Times.

Medical doctor and former head of Brazilian health regulator Anvisa, Gonzalo Vecina Neto, confirmed Brazil is seeing "experiencing the worst outlook for the pandemic since it started".  

"Mutations are the result of the increased reproduction of the virus. The greater the number of viruses, the faster the transmission, the more mutations we have."

Feature image: Getty. 

- With AAP.

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