RIO DE JANEIRO, April 1. /TASS/. Over 1,000 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Brazil in the past day, the country's health ministry said on Wednesday.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil stands at 6,836, and 240 people died from coronavirus-related illnesses and complications. Most cases are registered in Sao Paolo (over 2,900 confirmed cases and 164 fatalities) and Rio de Janeiro (708 confirmed cases and 23 fatalities).

The first coronavirus case was confirmed in Brazil on February 26.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.