Brazil has passed the mark of five million confirmed Covid-19 cases as it approached 150,000 deaths in the second most deadly coronavirus outbreak outside the United States.

Though the number of daily cases has come down from a peak in July, public health experts warn that Brazil is ignoring social distancing precautions and faces the danger of a second wave by returning to normal everyday life too quickly.

The Health Ministry reported 31,553 new cases, raising the total to 5,000,694, and 734 deaths, bringing the toll to 148,228 dead.