Brasilia, Sep 18 (IANS): Sao Paolo, the largest Brazilian city and also one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus) pandemic, has authorized the restart of in-person classes at universities from October 7, Mayor Bruno Covas said.

In an announcement on Thursday, Covas said that classes throughout the educational system have been held online since the last week of March, as part of lockdown measures designed to contain the outbreak, reports Xinhua news agency.

A decision about resuming in-person classes at the primary and secondary levels will be made in November, a month before the end of the academic year, said Covas.

Some 81 per cent of residents are against a return to in-person classes for fear of more infections, according to a public opinion poll published last week.

Brazil currently accounts for the third highest number of Covid-19 cases and third highest deaths.

As of Friday, the number of cases increased to 4,455,386, while the death toll stood at 134,935.

The state of Sao Paulo is the worst-hit, accounting for over 917,000 positive cases and 33,472 fatalities.

The other hard-hit states include Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Ceara.