RIO DE JANEIRO, May 22. /TASS/. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil rose to 310,098, with 18,508 cases recorded in the past day, according to official statistics.

More than 585,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the coronavirus have been conducted in the country, the Health Ministry said.

In the past day, 1,188 fatalities were registered, and the total death toll nearly doubled in the past 12 days to 20,047.

The state of Sao Paulo remains the epicenter of the outbreak in the country, including its eponymous capital, whose agglomeration is home to more than 21 million people. The region has over 73,700 infection cases and more than 5,500 fatalities. Massive outbreaks were also reported in Rio de Janeiro (32,089 cases) and the northeastern region of Seara (31,413 cases). The death toll in these two states reached 3,412 and 2,161.

Other worst-affected regions are the northeastern states of Pernambuco (nearly 24,000 cases and 1,925 deaths) and Maranhao (over 16,000 cases and 663 deaths), as well as Amazonas (over 25,300 cases and 1,620 deaths) and Para (over 19,700 cases and 1,852 deaths) in the country’s north. At least each coronavirus case was registered in nearly two-thirds of Brazilian municipalities.

Brazil remains the hardest-hit Latin American state in terms of coronavirus cases and deaths. The first coronavirus case in Brazil was confirmed on February 26 in Sao Paulo, a day after the annual carnival was over. On May 12, the Health Ministry reported 39 positive coronavirus tests taken back in January after they sought medical help with coronavirus-like symptoms. Later, Seara’s authorities found out that the first patient with coronavirus symptoms had sought medical assistance as far back as January 1.

The Health Ministry earlier predicted that the situation in the country would have stabilized by July, while the rates of infections would begin to slow down in August to start subsiding in September. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 5 mln people in the world have contracted the coronavirus and over 325,000 have died.