Brazil registered another record number of novel coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday evening, as the pandemic in Latin America’s largest country shows no signs of slowing down.

The nation registered 28,936 additional cases of the novel coronavirus, the ministry said, and 1,262 deaths. There are now 555,383 total confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil and 31,199 coronavirus deaths.

The fresh record comes as some Brazilian leaders, including right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, continue to belittle the virus, warning that the economic fallout from quarantine measures will be worse than the virus itself.

“We lament all deaths, but it’s everyone’s destiny,” Bolsonaro said in front of the presidential residence in Brasilia earlier on Tuesday.

Even in states and cities where leaders had previously instituted lockdown orders, authorities have been rapidly loosening restrictions in recent days, despite the number of daily new cases continuing to grow in most regions.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 55 on Tuesday, against 60 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose to 318 from 178 on Monday.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 33,530, the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 233,515, the sixth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain and Britain.

Mexico’s deputy health minister said on Tuesday that the novel coronavirus had reached its maximum intensity in the country after the ministry reported a record increase in daily cases.

The ministry said on Tuesday there were an additional 3,891 cases of the coronavirus and 470 more deaths.

That brought the total number of known cases to 97,326, with 10,637 deaths. Health authorities have said the real number of cases is higher.