Sao Paulo, Apr 9, 2021, SPA -- Brazil reported a 24-hour tally of COVID-19 deaths exceeding 4,000 for the first time, becoming the second nation to go above that daily threshold, AP reported. Many governors, mayors and judges are reopening parts of the economy despite lingering chaos in overcrowded hospitals and a collapsed health system in several parts of the country. Brazil's health ministry said 4,195 deaths were counted in the previous 24 hours, with the nation's pandemic toll quickly approaching 340,000, the second highest in the world. Only the U.S. has had daily death tolls higher than 4,000. A Peruvian report of 4,143 on Aug. 14 included deaths from several days. Sao Paulo state, Brazil's most populous with 46 million residents, registered almost 1,400 deaths in the latest count. Health officials said the figure was partly due to the Easter holiday, which delayed the count. Local authorities nationwide argue that numbers of cases and hospitalizations are trending downward after a week of a partial shutdown. --SPA 22:39 LOCAL TIME 19:39 GMT 0030 www.spa.gov.sa/w1539264