Brazil's Covid-19 death toll passed 200,000, the health ministry said, as daily new cases accelerated to a record of 87,843 after year-end holidays in the country with the world's second-deadliest outbreak.

Experts warn Brazil has still not seen the height of cases resulting from people celebrating Christmas and New Year's with friends and family. Others, including President Jair Bolsonaro, booked their regular beach vacations at the height of summer in the southern hemisphere.

“It's a shame what happened in the summer. What we expect is that after January 15, we will unfortunately face a critical state again in hospitals,” said Rafael Deucher, a doctor in Paran state, where 80 per cent of public intensive care beds occupied.

Immunologists say various factors are likely to intensify what is a second wave of the virus. Brazil is at least three weeks away from beginning its vaccine campaign, according to the government, which has been criticised for not moving quickly enough.