BRASILIA — Brazil reported 47,161 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,086 deaths from the disease in the past 24 hours, reported Reuters, citing the country's health ministry on Wednesday.

Since the pandemic began, Brazil has registered 3,717,156 cases of the virus, while the official death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 117,666.

Brazil explosive caseload has made it the second hardest-hit country in the world after the United States, which has recorded more than 5.8 million COVID-19 patients, according to the latest reports.

On Tuesday, the eldest son of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating himself despite having no symptoms.

Earlier this month, President Bolsonaro’s chief of staff, Army General Walter Souza Braga Netto had tested positive for the virus.

Last month, Bolsonaro himself tested positive for the virus spending three weeks in quarantine. Eight of his cabinet ministers and 11 of Brazil’s 27 governors, including Sao Paulo Gov. Joao Doria, have also tested positive.

His wife, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Marcos Pontes were also infected. — Agencies